Progeny
by Jeffrey Vasquez
Summary: Memory lost. Memory Forgotten. Shadows dance under the light of the moon. Ranma Saotome thought that he was invincible. Nothing in the world could best him until someone close to his heart was taken from him.
1. Progeny Chapter 1

Untitled Document

> > Progeny  
By Jeffrey Vasquez
>> 
>> Disclaimer:  
Based on the series Sailor Moon. All characters copyrighted by Naoko  
Takeuchi, Toei Animation, and Kodansha.
>> 
>> The characters of Ranma ½ are the express property of the most benevolent  
queen of comedy, her Highness, the revered Rumiko Takahashi and  
Shogokukan. I am in no way claiming, or even pretending to own these  
characters.
>> 
>> The rest belong to me.
>> 
>> Author's note:
>> 
>> This is an Alternate time line for Ranma ½, wherein Soun Tendo and  
Ukyou Kuonji accompanied the group to Jusendo. They all witness  
Ranma's battle with Saffron, along with the events that followed.  
The story has undergone quite a few changes since I first wrote it, so  
be sure to read it from the beginning!  
Enjoy!
>> 
>> ********  
The Moon Kingdom
>> 
>> Serenity sat on her throne, atop a raised dais, a swaddled babe clutched in her  
arms. Deep in her noble heart, a war waged. Grief battled a cold righteous anger,  
both seeking to overthrow the other.
>> 
>> She would not break here.
>> 
>> This was a trial, and she needed to be cold and impartial, despite the man that  
now stood before her. She couldn't let her love for him taint justice.  
Senshi Pluto stood to her monarch's right, her demeanor cold and subdued, at  
least on the surface. The cold fire of hatred, that swelled in her stomach at the  
sight of the man, made itself plain in her eyes. Ahbrim Ur nauseated her. His  
smug defiance made her want to beat the man to a bloody pulp. Unfortunately,  
Pluto knew that retribution wasn't hers to mete out. She looked down at her  
Queen and the child that rested in her arms.
>> 
>> It was the beginning of the end.
>> 
>> Just as she had foreseen. It was times like these that made guarding the time gate  
difficult. This one man had carelessly set in motion the destruction of all that she  
held dear. And there wasn't a damn thing that she could do about it.
>> 
>> The bastard.
>> 
>> **I hate this job.** Pluto sighed tiredly. A whimper from the child brought her  
attention back to Serenity. The Matriarch of the Moon Kingdom could have  
been an ice sculpture for all the emotion that crossed her face.
>> 
>> **Gods, how does she remain so calm!**
>> 
>> Concern for her dear friend was written plainly on the face of the Senshi of  
Time. It was more emotion than any within the Queen's court had ever witnessed  
on the stoic woman's face.
>> 
>> "Well Serenity?" A collective gasp rippled through the throne room. Senshi  
Uranus growled and began to step forward, only to have the younger and elder  
Neptune restrain her.
>> 
>> "Hold your tongue Traitor!" Fury laced Uranus' voice. The elder and younger  
Senshi of Neptune could barely restrain the enraged woman as she threw herself  
at the man.
>> 
>> Ahbrim Ur smiled haughtily at the young woman.
>> 
>> "Or what Child?" He cooed mockingly. "Your predecessor couldn't best me. In  
fact I clearly remember her squealing, like a stuck pig. I wonder what your last  
moments will sound like." He tapped his finger thoughtfully against his lips.  
Uranus broke free from the combined strength of her friends and launched herself  
at the chained man before her. Her primal scream echoed throughout the court, as  
did the harsh blows that she rained down upon Ur.
>> 
>> "She!" Her fist took the wind from his lungs.
>> 
>> "Was!" A kick shattered his nose, spraying her uniform with blood. The baby  
woke and began crying.
>> 
>> "My!" An open hand strike flew across his jaw.
>> 
>> "MOTHER!"
>> 
>> Tears flowed from her eyes as she groined her tormentor. The man  
doubled over with a grunt and fell to his knees, clutching himself. Somewhere in  
the background Pluto could be heard shouting, along with others.  
Hands roughly separated Uranus from her quarry. She thrashed against them  
harshly using all of her strength. Couldn't they see that he had to pay! She  
screamed at them, and almost broke free again; but new hands joined the  
struggle and Uranus was lifted from the ground.
>> 
>> "Remove her from the court!" Pluto called out, gesturing emphatically. The two  
Senshi of Neptune and the younger Senshi of Venus and Jupiter complied  
quickly, carrying Uranus from the chamber hastily.
>> 
>> Silence descended slowly, as the enraged howls of Uranus echoed throughout  
the halls of the Crystal Palace. Ahbrim Ur recovered slowly, raising to his feet  
with little grace and a great deal of pain. No aid was offered to the man, not that  
he cared. These people were all hypocrites any way.
>> 
>> "It seems that I have upset one of the watchdogs your highness." His scornful  
tone mocked all present.
>> 
>> He sniffed in derision. The coppery taste of his own blood filled his mouth, but  
he smiled none the less. He looked up into the eyes of his former Queen and  
saw that Serenity's gaze had hardened. He shivered uncontrollably for an  
instant before regaining his composure. She looked stunning like this. Her eyes  
were cold and fierce, and her posture was strong and unrelenting.
>> 
>> Was it any wonder why he had fallen in love with her in the first place? She  
was every bit the queen that she claimed to be, but that was no excuse for her  
crimes. The self-righteous dominance that she hung over the people, and the  
indifference to the lower classes were more than he could bear. She may have  
been beautiful and he may have loved her more than life itself, but she was  
blind and deaf to the true needs of her people.
>> 
>> He spat blood on the floor, wishing that it could be at her feet.  
Maybe now her ears would hear and eyes see, what he had been telling her  
all along. He chuckled to himself grimly. Silence languished throughout the hall  
as Serenity's gaze fell upon Ur like Heaven's judgment.
>> 
>> **Probably not.**
>> 
>> "Well, Wife?" Ahbrim asked impatiently. "I await your Divine judgment."
>> 
>> "That title is no longer yours to speak Betrayer!" The Elder Senshi of Venus  
made herself known from the left side of Serenity's throne. Her silky, golden,  
hair glistened in the lamp light of the court. She had loved him once, well  
before Serenity had caught his eye.
>> 
>> The Queen of the Moon Kingdom raised her hand to forestall any more  
exhibitions of retribution. The child in her arms had quieted, and once again  
fell into a troubled sleep. Ur yearned to know the child's sex. But it had  
been a closely held secret. It was to be one of her final blows to him he  
supposed, for abandoning them. He would never know if his child was  
a son or daughter; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing his  
progeny.
>> 
>> Serenity rose from her throne and gently handed the child off to her advisor  
Luna; the Mercurian cat in human form. She descended halfway down the  
dais, before she stopped and looked down at her former husband.
>> 
>> "Before I sentence you Ahbrim, I would ask you one question." His slight  
nod was the only sign that he had heard her at all.
>> 
>> "Nine months ago you abandoned my bed, for that of our enemy. Our  
child grew within my womb as you dallied with Onyx and her darkness.  
You shamed us, you abandoned us," Her voice was measured and calm.
>> 
>> The Great Void was warmer than her tone.
>> 
>> "I would know why."
>> 
>> Ahbrim Ur laughed. It was a cynical laugh that resounded in the hearts of  
those attending the trial. His rich baritone voice echoed hauntingly off the  
walls, chilling Serenity. The man she had once dared to love was dead.
>> 
>> And in his place there stood a monster.
>> 
>> "Dearest Serenity! Your pride is boundless! You think that this was about  
you? About our little family?" His laughter barked loudly, causing the baby  
to wake again. Luna did her best to pacify the newborn's tears. She threw  
a dark look at Ur and silently wished that she could rip out the traitor's  
throat.
>> 
>> "If not that, then pray, tell me what. Enlighten us all," her arms swept wide  
to encompass those gathered in the hall. "...as to your reasons for sleeping  
with the Darkness, for killing a defender of the light, and destroying an  
entire nation?" His gaze hardened as he met hers. They had entertained this  
discussion before; many times in fact. She knew what he fought for.
>> 
>> "You know damn well why! The hypocrisy of the Moon Kingdom knows  
no bounds! You," his gaze swept the gathered nobles and dignitaries  
viciously, and he spat on the floor again. "...dance at your petty balls, and  
lavish yourselves with finery to the point of excess! You gorge yourselves  
while other nations starve!"
>> 
>> His tirade completed its circuit, coming to rest again on his ex-wife.
>> 
>> "The Moon Kingdom is a coterie, made up of spoiled children, playing at  
a dream at the cost of others." His battered face was flushed and his eyes  
were filled with contempt.
>> 
>> Queen Serenity bowed her head, not in shame, but in tired resignation.  
She had heard his appeals on a number of occasions, and had honestly  
tried to follow his council. But she knew that in his eyes she had never  
tried hard enough.
>> 
>> He would never understand that she wasn't willing to force her  
kingdom's aid on a nation or another kingdom, that flat out refused it in  
the first place.
>> 
>> His heart had been closed to her since Atlantis sank beneath the waves.
>> 
>> He still placed the blame at her feet for his nation's demise. He couldn't  
see that pride and politics had doomed her attempts to save Atlantis from  
the beginning. Just as, even now, his pride had doomed her efforts to  
save him.
>> 
>> She gazed down at him lovingly, one last time assuming the role of his wife.  
The look that he returned was cold and emotionless. She offered him her  
forgiveness, and he spurned her attempt. She could feel the mantle of her  
office settle on her shoulders once more. The title of Monarch replaced  
the title of Wife. When she spoke, her power and authority spoke with  
her. Magic amplified her voice and sealed Ahbrim Ur's fate.
>> 
>> "Ahbrim Ur, Son of fair Atlantis. Your acts of treason against the throne of  
this kingdom are presented before you. How will you plead?" Her voice  
was measured and clear.
>> 
>> "Guilty and unrepentant!" Ur shouted, in a vain attempt to steal some of his  
former Queen's majesty. He could do little else, cut off as he was from the  
power of the earth, and from his magic.
>> 
>> "Then you leave us no choice, than to seal upon you your punishment. For  
your crimes against the planet Uranus and its champion, and for the atrocities  
that you have visited on the nations of bright Terra; we sentence you to exile.  
We strike your name from all records, and strip you of all that you were.  
We bind you, son of perdition, to the darkness that you serve. Think well  
on your folly for the rest of eternity."
>> 
>> Silver flames licked the Queen's body as she presented the Ginzuishou  
before her. Silver flames shot out from the crystal, engulfing Ahbrim in a  
silvery white light.
>> 
>> "You have made me a martyr!" He cried out despite the pain that rent his soul.  
"I will be avenged Serenity, and you will see our child suffer for your pride!"
>> 
>> Ahbrim Ur fought the changes that were overtaking his body. An empty  
struggle, that in the end proved as empty as his threats. He could feel his  
limbs harden and thicken painfully, as flesh and blood changed to a lustrous  
silver. He felt the magic climbing up from his lower extremities, but refused  
to show his fear. He spat once more at her feet, before the magic began to  
drive the air from his lungs.
>> 
>> "You. . .will. . .never. . .know. . .pea. . . ." The threat died as his lungs  
solidified and the magic worked its justice.
>> 
>> Serenity, Queen of the fabled Moon Kingdom, fell gracelessly to the stairs.  
Tears coursed down her cheeks as she looked down at what had once been  
her one, true, love. Hundreds of beautiful memories flooded her  
mind; times of hope and warmth, and times of passion and tenderness.
>> 
>> All lost because of pride.
>> 
>> In her anguish she rent her dress and keened to the Heavens. Her mourning  
carried into the hearts of her subjects, and Senshi Pluto watched with a deep  
sense of emptiness as the Moon Kingdom began its inevitable march toward  
destruction.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> Chapter One:
>> 
>> There are few people awake at three in the morning. It is considered a  
magical time, when the mind and spirit drift in another world. This  
is the Fourth World, separate and very real. It is the Ring of Eternity,  
dancing in an endless waltz, renewing the lives of every living creature.  
It is said that this is the afterlife of legends; the place where great beings  
wait to be reborn. It is also said, that this is where men truly commune  
with the Divine. Whether this is true or not, is not important. What is  
important, is the nature of this hidden world.
>> 
>> The Fourth World, like all worlds, is a study in balances. It is an infinite  
plane that stretches outward from a definite center, and divided into three  
distinct kingdoms: Afardis, the Kingdom of Dawn. Wyiel, the Kingdom  
of Twilight. And Ghol, the Kingdom of Night.
>> 
>> Afardis dances in eternal summer, while Ghol is forever blanketed in a  
shroud of darkness. Wyiel lays sandwiched between the two, forever  
acting as the buffer between light and dark. Pleasure and pain coexist  
here, feeding off of the desires of man like parasites, while leaving thier  
hosts empty...empty and addicted to their unique gifts. It is here inWyiel,  
that most dreamers go to dream.
>> 
>> If they are lucky.
>> 
>> ********  
Nerima:  
Six months after Jusendo.
>> 
>> Ranma clutched the doll that held Akane's soul to his chest with one  
hand, while the other held the Gekkaja. The crescent bladed staff  
cooled him against the fierce onslaught of Saffron's heat, as he fell  
earthward.
>> 
>> Not again. Please.
>> 
>> **She'll never make it if I wait for us to land.** He thought direly.
>> 
>> **When she closes her eyes, it'll be too late!** All he needed was to  
restore the moisture to her body, and the Dragon Tap was just beneath  
him. The cold water would re-hydrate her and she'd be okay. He  
gathered his strength and tossed the Gekkaja like a spear, with pinpoint  
accuracy, into the head of the tap. It would cool the water as it flowed  
from the mouth of the ornamental dragon.
>> 
>> Unfortunately, he wasn't falling fast enough to reach the water in time,  
and he knew it.
>> 
>> Please. No more.
>> 
>> **The air's still filled with Saffron's heat. If I bring down my Cold Fist  
here, I can call the water. . . .** He looked at the small doll in his hands  
with concern. **Until then, don't die Akane!**
>> 
>> He focused his spirit and allowed himself to call forth the calm he needed  
to perform the maneuver. His body temperature dropped considerably  
cooling the humid air around him. His fist started glowing as the air  
whipped his pigtail in a frenzy behind his head.
>> 
>> "HISSHOU NO ICHIGEKI!" (A Strike for Life!) He cried out defiantly to  
the Fates, and his fist glowed brighter still.
>> 
>> For whose life?
>> 
>> He had one shot at this, he had to make it count. The punch flew from  
him with all the strength that he could spare.
>> 
>> **Dragon Look to the Heavens!** His prayer was equal parts command  
and plea as the energy that he had built shot forth from his arm, down  
towards the Dragon Tap.
>> 
>> "HIRYU GYOTEN HAAAAAAA!" (Flying Dragon Staring up at Heaven  
Strike)
>> 
>> The concentrated cyclone shot forth like the finger of God, down into the  
Dragon Tap, tearing it apart as if it were made of paper. The whirlwind  
collected the pieces, spinning them above the shattered neck of the tap.
>> 
>> **Please work! PLEASE!** his heart cried out urgently, as the miniature  
tornado slammed the severed head of the giant faucet, down on top of the  
broken neck. Water fountained upward, in an angry release, from the  
mouth of the Dragon toward Ranma.
>> 
>> "DID IT!" He cried tiumphantly as cold water washed over him. He  
could feel his mass shift slightly. His center of gravity changed and the  
world seemed a little larger through his eyes.
>> 
>> Arrogant bastard.
>> 
>> **Akane, it's the water. Please come back to me, please!!** The magic  
water from the tap drenched the tiny doll, which seemed to suck it up  
thirstily and expand impossibly.
>> 
>> She won't come back...never come back....
>> 
>> "A. . .AKANE!"
>> 
>> Ranma held Akane's now normal, and very naked body; his concern for  
modesty was thrown to the wind as he looked for any signs of life. His  
heart plummeted as he found . . . nothing.
>> 
>> No pulse. No breath.
>> 
>> Nothing.
>> 
>> Empty...like me.
>> 
>> He landed on the ground lightly, cradling Akane's still form in his arms.  
His heart still pounded like a jackhammer, trying to burst free from his  
chest. But aside from that, the rest of his body was numb.
>> 
>> Somehow, he managed to find a kettle and heated it from a pool of  
scalding water left over from the Phoenix Tap. The water washed over  
him, allowing the world to return to its normal proportions.  
He settled down near a pool of cool water and slipped his shirt around  
Akane's shoulders to preserve what little dignity that he could on her  
behalf.
>> 
>> She deserved more...so much more.
>> 
>> He had taken too long. Saffron had just been too tough. If only she had  
stayed out of the fight! If she would have, just once, listened to him and  
not interfered! If she hadn't interfered, he would have been dead. Ranma  
raised his fist and hit himself, leaving a nasty bruise on his cheek.
>> 
>> "Sorry. . . , that's not what I meant to say . . . ." His voice was thick with  
the pain of his broken heart. "I really wanted to say 'Thank you'...."
>> 
>> Too late fool...forever too late.
>> 
>> The only sound was the quiet splashing of the water near by. No one  
intruded; no one dared.
>> 
>> "I'm sorry Akane. . . ." He faltered. His eyes became misty with tears. "It's  
because. . . I'm awkward. . . ." His breath escaped his lungs in a ragged  
sigh as he brushed the hair behind her ear with a soft slow motion.  
"I could never tell you how I really felt, so I just kept making you mad at  
me and hurting you...." A sudden sense of desperation entered his soul.  
He needed her. She was the only one that he truly loved and he had never  
had the courage to tell her.
>> 
>> "... wake up Akane...."
>> 
>> She will never wake again! Never again!
>> 
>> A cool breeze tousled his hair.
>> 
>> "There's something that I want to say...."
>> 
>> **... please.**
>> 
>> "Akane... Can't you hear me?" The tears began to fall. He couldn't hold  
them back; if he tried he knew that he would break beneath the pressure.
>> 
>> How could she? You never taught her to hear the words of your heart!  
The small wet diamonds fell on her beautifully pale face and slid down  
the contours of her cheek.
>> 
>> "Please let me tell you that I love you, Akane!" His appeal was met by  
silence and his anguished, helpless tears pooled around her eyes as he held  
her close.
>> 
>> Love too little, love too late! She's lost to you! Lost like you! Hahaha!
>> 
>> "AKANE!" The torment of his loss shot to the Heavens, and the pooled  
tears rolled down her cheeks; as if she too wept at the cruelty of life.   
Their love, having never been acknowledged, would never find fruition.  
The echoes of his grief bounced throughout the mountain vale, adding a  
thousand voices to his one. A chorus of Ranmas mourned while he sat  
immobile with his love clutched to his chest in a death grip. Shock  
settled over him and after an unknown period of time, depression. All his  
pain, all of his loss, spiraled into himself. He gathered it all to him like a  
shepherd would his flock, and nurtured it.
>> 
>> Heavenly fire. Cleanse the earth, burn the blackness, purify this empty soul.
>> 
>> Nothing mattered anymore. She was gone and wasn't coming back. So  
what was there left to live for? Nothing.
>> 
>> No more silent dreams. No more fun. No more secret smiles.
>> 
>> No more Akane.
>> 
>> Nothing. Nothing. Nothing...let me die....
>> 
>> This was a sacred place, a place of change; a place of Power. A power  
that sung out to Ranma to be used. He could see the blood lines that made  
up the Earth's Ki. They were great, spiritual veins that intersected at  
various points all around him.
>> 
>> **Use us.** They seemed to whisper. **Use us.**
>> 
>> Yes. Call the flame. Call the lightning. Command the Earth to swallow me whole!
>> 
>> And so, Ranma did. He opened himself fully to them and absorbed their  
might, making it his own. He was never sure of how he did what he did,  
but he found himself drawing in the rivers of power until it hurt.
>> 
>> There was a flash of white and then pain.
>> 
>> All that Ranma could do was scream...scream with all the voices of the Earth.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> "...ake up Ranma. Come on, it's only a dream." Nabiki's soft voice drug  
Ranma from the depths of his pain; coercing him to rejoin the land of the  
living.
>> 
>> "Shhh. It's okay now, just let it go." She clutched his shaking body close,  
sharing her warmth with him and trying to make him feel safe again. She  
smelled of strawberries and herbs, and her satiny hair tickled his neck.
>> 
>> "It's okay now. Just a dream. Let it go." She sounded exhausted, and her  
body had obviously shifted into automatic. Just like it did every night that  
he dreamed. She was hunched over him, pillowing his head in her lap  
and against her breasts. Her silk pajamas were warm and smooth,  
offering comfort amidst the ebbing pain.
>> 
>> "Let it go Ranma. It's just a dream...just a dreaaaam...." She yawned,  
dragging out the word. He wished that it had been "just a dream";  
dreams were pleasant...dreams didn't hurt.
>> 
>> He wasn't sure how long they remained like that; time had little meaning  
after returning from that place. All that he did know, was that Nabiki had  
stopped rocking him, and from the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest,  
she had entered the world of dreams herself.
>> 
>> Ranma prayed that hers were at least pleasant.
>> 
>> He allowed her the moment, basking in her warmth for as long as  
humanly possible. Six months ago, this show of weakness would  
never have happened. But alot had changed since then...hadn't it?
>> 
>> The emptness that had entered him so quickly, lingered. Many  
had tried to fill the void that Akane had left behind: Kodachi,  
Shampoo, Ukyou. Each had done their best to make him forget  
the great, gaping wound in his soul. But in the end, their greed  
poisoned their love, and their attempts to fill the void that Akane  
had left. Shampoo hadn't made it out of China, Ukyou lasted a  
full three three months after they had returned, and Kodachi....  
Ranma shivered.
>> 
>> Kodachi, ever efficient and ignorantly bold, had crossed the  
point of no return in that first weekend. One small comment  
about Akane had unlocked Ranma's rage, and the ensuing  
tempest had left half of Nerima in disrepair. Ranma, even in  
his fury, could not bring himself to hurt the girl. In the end, he  
didn't need to; the amount of property damage that he had  
left in his wake spoke for him.
>> 
>> Ranma sighed and carefully slipped out of Nabiki's embrace.  
With great care and sensitivity, he eased her down so that she  
could be more comfortable. He slid out from underneath his  
covers, and with a deft twist of his wrist, covered Nabiki. He  
couldn't help but reflect as he looked down at her, she was the  
source of so much mystery...and strength. Ranma had slammed  
so many doors, and burned too many bridges since coming  
back. No one at school bothered him anymore, with the  
exception of Nabiki.
>> 
>> She had become his sole anchor with reality, and not just for  
Ranma. She was carrying everyone, like Kasumi had after  
their mother's death. It was strange, yet somehow fitting. Akane  
was gone, Kasumi in her loss had found a life with Tofu that was  
slowly maturing, and Soun was lost in his grief. Nabiki had  
passionately taken upon herself the mantle of caregiver. And ran  
the house with a militant flare, that let no one wallow in their pain  
for very long.
>> 
>> Genma was actually working again, to Ranma's amazement, and  
Soun had found a measure of peace in teaching again. That only  
left Ranma unaccounted for, and Nabiki watched him like a  
hawk. It was irritating, demeaning, awkward, and in moments  
like these...truly comforting.
>> 
>> He sighed again, and moved over to the window. The darkness was  
empty; just like his soul. He couldn't continue on like this; he couldn't  
keep doing this to Nabiki. The way things were going now, he might  
start feeling something for her...something that she felt already.  
She deserved better.
>> 
>> They all did.
>> 
>> With great care, Ranma lifted Nabiki into his arms and returned her to  
her room. Then set about packing his things. He had entered their lives  
like a tsunami, he hoped to leave like a gentle breeze.
>> 
>> ********  
Banyankala Province, China  
Sunday, 3:50 a.m.
>> 
>> A storm raged against the night. Midnight black clouds flew against the  
ebony sky. Somewhere north by north west of the Musk Dynasty, an  
ancient prison of sorts lay hidden from the prying eyes of the world.  
Unlike most prisons this bastille had no walls, no chains, nor any of  
the other accouterments that one would normally associate with  
incarceration.
>> 
>> It resembled a fine pleasure garden filled with beautiful metal  
sculptures that glistened beneath the rain and flashed in the  
lightning. The motif was a blend of wild tranquility, as nature  
sought to usurp the order that had been imposed on it. It might  
have looked like a garden, but it has often been said that:  
"Walls, do not a prison make."
>> 
>> Somewhere, deep within the open prison, a loud noise resounded above  
the thunder in the area. The tortured screaming of metal being torn,  
echoed into the night. The Heavens opened their vaults and threw down  
torrential rains and flights of sky fire, raging against the evil that was  
being unleashed upon the Earth once more.
>> 
>> ********  
Juuban  
Shinto Shrine 4:52 p.m.
>> 
>> Rei Hino knelt before the Great Fire, searching her soul. The flames of  
her heart danced in a myriad of colors, mesmerizing her. This was her  
favorite part of the fire reading; a moment of peaceful beauty that only  
she could experience. The flames waltzed sinuously throughout  
her mind, liberating her spirit and cleansing her mind in preparation for  
the vision that was to come.
>> 
>> The fire inside her began to take shape; the vision had begun.  
At first it was a column that had vaguely human qualities. The traits  
slowly coalesced into the form of a young man. White flames  
danced around his head, mimicking a crown of some sort. His  
body flowed beautifully through a kata that captivated Rei. His  
movements were confident and strong. He stumbled and the flames  
flared brightly.
>> 
>> Again the fire formed into the vague shape of a man, only this time much  
larger than before. He wore no shirt, instead flames created what looked  
like a series of tattoos that covered his body. His movements weren't as  
graceful as his predecessor, instead, she found them to be violent and  
vulgar. The flames slowly begin to change color, darkening from a deep  
red to a pitch black.
>> 
>> The shrine maiden's fascination turned to horror as the man grabbed her  
soul. His spiritual grip was painful, searing her soul. His voice, when he  
spoke, was brutal and filled with hate.
>> 
>> "Tell her Mars. Tell Serenity that Ahbrim Ur has returned, and that he  
is coming for her."
>> 
>> He squeezed her spirit again painfully, before letting go and  
dissipating. The flames died out in her mind, leaving an exhausted  
and very frightened Rei Hino laying before her Great Fire.
>> 
>> ********  
Nerima  
Sunday 11:00a.m.
>> 
>> The moment that she woke this morning, she had known that something  
was out of balance. The spirit of the house seemed to be scewed, or  
somehow depleted; but Nabiki couldn't put a finger to the cause.
>> 
>> Combine this with the fact that Kasumi was visiting Tofu's family over  
the weekend, and you had the recipe for a grumpy Sunday.  
The idea that she would have to cook for everyone didn't make things  
any better. She was a surprisingly good cook, as the family had  
discovered soon after Kasumi's breakdown; she could cook, but that  
didn't mean she enjoyed it. Not really...well maybe a little. She  
entertained a little fantasy involving Ranma and breakfast in bed.
>> 
>> A small grin split her face as she set to work.
>> 
>> It was time that he stopped brooding, and if she played her cards just  
right, things just might start looking up for everyone. Time seemed to fly  
as Nabiki performed her magic. Kasumi was right; no matter how  
corny it sounded, love did make all the difference in the world. She  
climbed the stairs to Ranma's room and slowly opened the door.  
The tray slipped from her fingertips and clattered to the floor, quite  
forgotten. She had discovered the source of the imbalance within the  
house....
>> 
>> Ranma and all of his meager belongings were gone.
>> 
>> He had cleaned the room to a pristine polish, and in the middle of the  
floor lay a note. Nabiki slowly entered, crossing the threshold tenuously.  
There was no reason for her heart to be lodged in her throt like this.  
It was just a note right? Nothing to be concerned about...really. He  
hadn't tried anything stupid for three whole months...surely he hadn't  
regressed.
>> 
>> Her trembling fingers reached out and picked up the white envelope,  
and with careful precision, opened the letter. She had to read the note  
three times in order to decipher Ranma's handwriting, but by the end  
she could feel her heart run cold.
>> 
>> "DADDY!"
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> The train pulled away from Nerima's station with a jolt, and a sense  
of finality that almost hurt. He tried to convince himself that it didn't  
matter. He'd been uprooted so many times in the past, that leaving like  
this should have been pretty straightforward; pack the bags, bury the  
pain of leaving, move on. He had lost too much for this to be an easy  
separation, and like so many times before he had left a part of himself  
behind. Unfortunately, he knew that once gone, there was no way that  
he would ever reclaim what he had lost.
>> 
>> The Tendos had become an integral piece of his foundation, a corner  
stone if you will, and no matter how hard he tried lying to himself, he  
couldn't help but mourn for them. He could not escape his failure;  
the home had become a constant reminder of Akane. A bit of new  
paint or a large section of patchwork would dredge up a hundred  
different stories, and every time he passed her room his heart would  
burn with expectation.
>> 
>> He couldn't do it anymore. He was fighting an opponent that had no  
form or weaknesses, and Ranma knew that there was no way to  
defeat such an enemy.
>> 
>> The young martial artist lifted his head to look around the cabin, noting  
how empty he felt despite the large crowd. Men and women were  
packed around him, pressing against every part of himyet, they weren't  
touching him at all.
>> 
>> He noted their faces; each carefully guarded and impassive. One  
Salaryman was pressed intimately against a young housewife, but they  
seemed to ignore each other. An elderly woman was forced to stare at  
an obese man's behind, and for all intents and purposes she could have  
been reading a newspaper. There was this amazing sense of detachment  
that each person had, despite the inconveniences they were experiencing.  
Ranma wished with all of his heart that he could somehow detach himself  
from the pain.
>> 
>> His gaze scanned the rest of the crowd, trying to capture their dullness,  
when a distressed face jumped out at him. The young girl had to have been  
all of thirteen, and her dark shoulder length hair seemed to glow in the  
fluorescent lights. The thing that struck him about her was the way that her  
face was flushed, and how her violet eyes darted from one person to the  
next. Her embarrassment and shame made it quite clear that someone was  
taking advantage of the confined space. He search quickly, taking note of the  
most likely targets; two men and a young man.
>> 
>> A familiar rage welled in Ranma's heart, reminding him that he had not lost  
everything. He still had the Art, and the responsibility to protect. He may  
have failed Akane, but he refused to fail anyone else. He watched the trio,  
until the businessman's body language gave him away: a tightening of the neck  
muscles that coincided with a groping hand.
>> 
>> With uncanny precision he popped one of the wooden pegs from his shirt and  
transferred it to the opposing hand. He took careful aim, waiting until the train  
swayed slightly before launching the missile. He smiled grimly as the projectile  
connected, violently connected with the back of the pervert's head with a meaty  
crack. Ranma's smile widened as the man's body seemed to wilt into  
unconsciousness.
>> 
>> Several people grumbled as the man leaned into them, causing the martial artist  
to chuckle. The girl caught the sound and looked in Ranma's direction; the relief  
and gratitude in her eyes stirred something in his heart. Ranma nodded to her and  
then closed his eyes.
>> 
>> Akane would have been proud.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> Hotaru wasn't sure how the handsome young man had done it, but the pervert was  
out cold. By the time the train reached the Juuban terminal, someone had mercifully  
called the paramedics who were on hand to greet the train. Hotaru grimaced as the  
man was pushed against her, and made it a point to kick the pervert's shins as hard  
as she could before they carried him off the train.
>> 
>> Jerk.
>> 
>> ********  
Juuban terminal  
5:00 p.m.
>> 
>> Mamoru Chiba was a many of many talents: intelligent, patient, filled with  
long-suffering, and on his best days he had the ability to inspire hope in  
others. Unfortunately today was not one of his best days.
>> 
>> " Usako, please. Can we celebrate my return tomorrow?"
>> 
>> Sixteen hours on a plane, followed by another hour standing in lines at the  
airport, coupled with forty five grueling minutes of late trains, rush hour  
crowds on said trains...it was enough to wear anyone thin.
>> 
>> "I'm tired and I want to go home, take a nice long shower, and then go to bed."  
The young, blonde haired girl stood before him, unmasked disappointment in  
her eyes.
>> 
>> "If that's what you want Mamo-chan."
>> 
>> The eyes! Oh! The eyes!
>> 
>> He had to give her credit, she knew all the right buttons to push. He set his bag  
down and took her hand in his. "I'll tell you what, why don't we stop and get some  
ice cream on the way home, would that be alright?" She squealed happily, reaching  
a note that set every nerve on edge, and buried him in a hug that made everything  
perfect. He had to smile. There was nothing else to do; he couldn't move, breath,  
or seeso he smiled. When she released him, and he didn't immediately start to move  
right away, Usagi began tugging on him to hurry.
>> 
>> Mamoru groaned and allowed himself to be pulled along, forgetting that he had put  
his bag down behind Usagi.
>> 
>> The results were predictable.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> Ranma disembarked the train and glared at the pervert that had just come to on the  
paramedics' gurney. The man moaned, and rubbed his head. Ranma snorted silently,  
and moved on.
>> 
>> He took three steps before a young woman with blonde hair fell into him. He stumbled  
backwards as she flailed, trying to arrest their staggering motion. He felt his back hit  
something solid and mobile, before he finally coming to rest on his rump. The young  
woman looked up at him and grinned.
>> 
>> "Are you okay?" They asked at the same time.
>> 
>> There was a moment of extreme déjà vu for the pair. They heard a person squeal,  
several colorful words were yelled, followed by a crash. A female voice screamed  
somewhere behind Ranma and to the right, calling for someone to "look out". The  
martial artist cursed and stood, smoothly lifting Usagi up and setting her on her feet  
in one quick motion.
>> 
>> Usagi and Mamoru watched in awe as the young man seemed to blur, racing against  
the clock. The gurney, which had held the unfortunate pervert from the train, had  
rocketed toward a part of the platform that was under construction. Several minor  
disasters fell into place like dominoes, causing the gathered crowd to gap in wonder  
as The gurney hit a set of scaffolding, which tumbled into a light post, which hit an  
unstable pillar that buckled with the blow, in turn causing the wooden supports to give  
way. Had that been the end of it, the young woman with short black hair needn't have  
worried.
>> 
>> Unfortunately, the supports hit another set of scaffolding, which in turn dislodged another  
set of supports that hit (with uncanny precision) the last steel pillar. Normally, such things  
are quite sturdy, but as any practitioner of the Art can tell you (or any physicists worth their  
salt for that matter), everything has its breaking point.
>> 
>> The poor steel pillar never had a chance, as several hundred pounds of metal and wood  
fell upon it. To those watching, the young woman was certain to be buried by the wave  
of debris. Then again, none of the crowd knew Ranma Saotome.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> Ami Mizuno read as she waited patiently for her mother to disembark from the train. She  
felt it to fortuitous that Mamoru had been arriving on the same flight from Italy; it made it  
easier to keep Usagi out of trouble, and gave her a traveling companion. All in all, a  
perfect situationshe liked it when things fit together nicely.
>> 
>> Ami smiled thoughtfully as she turned the page; she hadn't realized how captivating  
Descartes would be. His thoughts and base in Modernity were intriguing, but there  
was something essential that she felt that he lacked. The man ultimately fought for the  
Utopian ideal, but she couldn't quite see the fault in his philosophy. Then again, half the  
fun was trying to find the answer to the problem.
>> 
>> It would come to her eventually.
>> 
>> It always did.
>> 
>> Small, warm, breezes rustled her school dress and lightly tossed her hair around in her  
face. She absently pulled the offending lock back over her ear. Ami was so caught up  
in her reading, that she didn't hear the commotion, or see the red blur until it was too late.
>> 
>> Something hit her roughly, taking her feet out from underneath her. There was an eerie  
sense of weightlessness, and she felt her body moving sideways. A loud shriek of  
tortured metal buckling beneath a great weight echoed in her ears, followed closely by a  
tremendous crash and a cloud of dust that would have had her coughing, had she been  
able to breath properly.
>> 
>> Instinct over took her, and Ami clutched the first thing that she found. It felt smooth, like  
silk, but rock hard underneath. She tried to open her eyes but felt something pinning her  
head down. The air was driven from her lungs as she impacted something several times.
>> 
>> It too was soft, yet solidnot to mention warm.
>> 
>> A moment of panic washed over her, and then everything stopped. The sounds of  
breaking things faded, and the dust cloud settled. Ami turned her head slowly, to take  
stock of her situation. The first thing she noticed was that her body was laid out  
horizontally, but she wasn't on the ground. Her mind quickly calculated the distance  
between terra firma and her suspended body, and came back with approximately twelve  
to fifteen inches. She wasn't terribly sure, due to the rhythmic rise and fall of whatever she  
was laying on.
>> 
>> Curious.
>> 
>> The rhythmic beating of her heart skipped when she noted that a second heart beat seemed  
to have suddenly joined hers. That's when she realized that there was an arm supporting  
her back, with a hand firmly clutching her left shoulder. The pressure on her head  
washand?
>> 
>> She lifted her head slowly and found herself swallowed by the most beautiful and haunting,  
steel gray eyes that she had ever seen. They reminded her of storm clouds just before it  
rained.
>> 
>> *******
>> 
>> Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn't have been an issue to pull the girl out from under  
the falling lamppost, but when the stupid pillar started to crash into the scaffolding around the  
overhang; things definitely got tricky. Well, she was safe now, and the only casualty was his  
favorite shirt. The back had to have been completely shredded from the feel of it.
>> 
>> Now all he had to do was get her to get off of him without giving her the wrong idea; or  
touching anything that he shouldn't. From the way that her heart was beating, he was sure that  
she was in shock; hopefully that would make things easier. All he had to do was take it slow,  
and if he was lucky she wouldn't even know what happened. Of course, Ranma should have  
known better.
>> 
>> His luck had never been that good.
>> 
>> He opened his eyes slowly, and simply stared all the color draining from his face.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> Ami watched her rescuer's face drain of color. She watched as various emotions played out  
on his face: shock, disbelief, denial, pain. She could feel the depth of his ache as it registered  
in those striking eyes of his. Buried beneath the pain was such an intense sentiment, a love so  
profound that Ami felt herself undeniably being consumed.
>> 
>> She couldn't escape the ardent passion, and something inside her admitted that she didn't really  
want to. All thoughts of exams and studying went flying right out the window as she met those  
wonderfully blue eyes. Well, not really, but they sure didn't seem as important as they had a  
few moments ago.
>> 
>> Ami had read about the "Eternal Moment", but had never really understood the concept...until  
now. Time seemed to stop, and the world fell away. No sound entered her ears except for his  
breathing and her own pounding heart beat. She couldn't register any smells, save for the  
bittersweet scent of his sweat mixed with a fabric softener. All that she could feel was the  
effortless strength with which he cradled her, and the gentle hands that had protected her from  
the harsh bite of the pavement.
>> 
>> Her hands absently played with the delicate silk of his shirt, and she felt his corded muscles  
shift slightly. A lump formed in her throat, impeding any rational requests to be moved. Not  
that she was currently coherent enough to make such an entreaty; and even if she had been  
lucid, who in their right mind would be stupid enough to ruin such a wonderful moment?
>> 
>> A smile, tentative and hopeful, brightened his face like the dawn after a long and dreadful  
nightmare. Relief flooded his eyes, and his perfect lips opened to speak. It took him two or  
three attempts before an intelligible sound could be formed.
>> 
>> "A...Aka...Akane?"
>> 
>> Hope beyond hope filled his voice. Ami blushed as the whispered words touched her.  
She shook her head slightly, biting her lip. She answered breathlessly the best she could,  
moving some annoying hair out of her eyes.
>> 
>> "A...Ami." The logic centers of her brain began pummeling the libido in the hopes of rescuing  
the situation. She was losing control, but at that moment she could have cared less. She'd never  
felt this way before, not even with Ryo.
>> 
>> Her answer shattered the magic.
>> 
>> The young man's hope splintered and his beautiful smile vanished, slowly wiped away as if it had  
never been. His beautiful eyes clouded over, taking on an emptiness that tore at Ami's heart. There  
was a palpable sense of loss as the world came to life around them. Much to Ami's regret, the young  
man slowly disengaged himself for her, carefully helping Ami to her feet.
>> 
>> He knelt before her and began picking up her scattered belongings.
>> 
>> "Sorry about that." His cold, distant, voice broke through her daze, and she bent down to help him.
>> 
>> "No harm done." She said quietly with a more than a little disappointment. Her heart continued to  
pound in her chest, and she felt oddly lightheaded; most likely from being tackled she told herself.  
She shook her head and took stock of the pile of scrap that now occupied the area in which she had  
stood. Her eyes bulged at the twisted aluminum and steel. "I should be the one thanking you."
>> 
>> Out of the corner of her eye she noticed his smile come back for an instant, only to be beaten down  
again by an overwhelming sadness. She winced internally as she collected her book. That had  
sounded soforward. She hoped he wouldn't get any ideaswell, maybe not too many.
>> 
>> They stood in perfect unison, and stared at each other for a moment longer before  
the boy handed her things over. She collected them and bowed to him shyly.
>> 
>> "Thank you."
>> 
>> "You're welcome." He bowed politely, which Ami returned. A false cheerfulness entered his eyes  
and voice, all for her sake she knew. "Uh. Um. Look you ain't hurt or nothin' are you?" His rough  
speech was endearing, and the way his hand scratched the back of his head made him look even  
cuter.
>> 
>> "No. I'm fine. Thank you." She bowed again to Ranma. He smiled and sighed.
>> 
>> "That's good ta know." He began scanning the crowd. "Are you meeting someone?" he asked,  
moving into safer waters.
>> 
>> Ami nodded and straightened her skirt. "My mother."
>> 
>> Ranma nodded and continued to scan the crowd, when Ami noticed the state of his shirt and  
back. "Oh my!" She quickly noted that he had a rather large bruise and a large section of skin  
that had been chewed raw by the pavement. The blood was minimal, but she was sure that it hurt.  
The boy made no show of it though. "You're hurt!"
>> 
>> He shrugged and looked at her disarmingly, like a rouge from one of Minako's pirate movies. His  
rakish smirk set off a war within her. Her libido began to debate furiously with the stuffy, sticks in  
the mud, saying that it was okay. The Logic centers countered with accusations of perversion, saying  
that the whole situation was highly improper. The Libido made to offer a rebuttal. Both conversations  
were stymied by the sound of a group of familiar voices moving towards her.
>> 
>> She smiled tiredly at the faces of Usagi, Mamoru, her mother andHotaru? She turned to thank  
the young man again, but he was gone.
>> 
>> ********  
End: Part One


	2. Progeny Chapter 2

Untitled Document

> > Progeny  
By Jeffrey Vasquez
>> 
>> Disclaimer:
>> 
>> The characters of Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon are the express property of their  
respective creators, or whomever is currently holding their leases. I don't  
pretend to own them.
>> 
>> The rest belong to me.
>> 
>> Author's note:
>> 
>> The story has undergone significant changes since I first wrote it, so  
be sure to read it from the beginning!
>> 
>> What has gone before:
>> 
>> In the Silver Millennium, Serenity's first husband is punished as a traitor  
to the Kingdom; he vows to return to plague his former wife and all that she  
holds dear. In the present, Akane died at Jusendo and Ranma continues to  
relive the haunting moment in his dreams half a year later. He decides that  
he needs a break, and leaves the dojo in search of some peace. He runs into  
some excitement at the train station, saving a certain blue-haired genius  
from a dangerous situation.then disappears without a trace.
>> 
>> Enjoy!
>> 
>> Chapter Two:
>> 
>> ********  
Tendo Dojo
>> 
>> Nerima
>> 
>> Nabiki enjoyed many things in life. Some were saintly while others  
were.less so, but the one thing that was beyond a doubt her favorite, was  
ice cream. And not just any ice cream either. It had to be a special blend  
that could only be had in one shop in the entire world. Luckily for her it  
was about four blocks from her house.
>> 
>> She had planned to introduce Ranma to Tanoshii's confections, but  
circumstance and his sudden departure had robbed her of the opportunity.  
After six long months of carrying her family, of keeping Soun's hope alive,  
and soothing Ranma's devastated conscience, Nabiki felt completely empty.  
Her emotional accounts were bone dry and nothing short of a miracle was  
going to make her feel that the time had been well spent.
>> 
>> Ranma's goodbye had been short, surprisingly sweet, and to the point.
>> 
>> "Sorry. Can't marry you. Love you too much to risk losing you too. Thanks  
for everything. I'll square the account someday."
>> 
>> Had it been anyone else making that promise, she would have laughed and then  
nailed the jerk's butt to the floor. But this was Ranma. She wasn't sure  
what that meant, but she understood well enough his reasons for leaving,  
psychologically at least. He needed space; time away from the grind, and  
the ghosts. They all did. Kasumi had found some measure of release in Tofu  
's company, and Daddy had found an amazing amount of solace in Genma's  
presence. Nabiki had never credited the fat fool as that loyal the fact  
that he was offering to take Soun on an extended training trip was.well  
miracles, it seemed, were alive and well.
>> 
>> That only left her.
>> 
>> Ranma had been her escape; a measure of her own healing heart. So long as  
Ranma was improving, she could lie to herself and say that she was doing  
okay too. Now that the sweet jerk had up and abandoned her, she had come  
face to face with the ugly reality that Akane was gone. She couldn't hide  
from the pain, but she could drown it in hundreds of frozen calories.
>> 
>> Which was what brought her to Tanoshii's ice cream parlor. Nobody could  
make a Triple Fudge Cosmic Wangoo like Tanoshii-san. And she considered  
herself a connoisseur when it came to such things. She only indulged  
herself once a month, or during moments of deep depression, but that was  
enough.
>> 
>> There was a history behind the Wangoo, that began two days after her mother  
had died. Tanoshii-san had just opened the ice cream parlor the week  
before, and while business had been brisk, he had taken his time to succor  
two little girls that had just lost their mother. Akane had gone hog wild  
when Tanoshii-san told her that she could make her own sundae, putting so  
much chocolate ice cream in a bowl, that the poor man must have thought that  
the pair were going to eat him out of business.
>> 
>> He still made it though, happy to see smiles replace the deadness in their  
puffy little eyes. Akane had built the foundation for the dish, but Nabiki  
had been the one that had taken the dish to its cosmic level. Brownies and  
chocolate sprinkles, maraschino cherries and real whipped cream... nothing  
was spared. It was a masterpiece of caffeinated proportions! She and Akane  
had been bouncing off the walls all the way home.
>> 
>> The whole experience had made the two forget for a time that they had lost  
someone special; drowning their sorrows in a mountain of ice cream. It had  
taken three months to come up with the perfect name for the dish, and  
surprisingly enough, it had been Kasumi who christened it.
>> 
>> In the years to come, the three daughters would come to the shop on the  
anniversary of Mommy's death and remember happy thoughts about growing up  
together. It was their private way of healing; and Tanoshii-san, bless his  
old heart, never charged them.
>> 
>> Nabiki ordered from the young man tending the counter and quickly settled at  
a secluded table far from the door. She was surprised that the boy had done  
such a good job in creating the dessert. The whole thing was laden with  
calories, and promised to bring her a large amount of pain, sweat, and tears  
to work off. She vowed between bites to make Ranma pay if she got fat.
>> 
>> "Mind if I join you?"
>> 
>> Nabiki smiled and looked up into a kindly, elderly gentleman's face. "Not  
at all." He sat down across from her, a special Wangoo of his own in front  
of him.
>> 
>> "The new kid seems to know his stuff." She said to break the ice between  
them.
>> 
>> The older man shook his head, frowning worriedly.
>> 
>> "You must be worse off than I thought." Tanoshii-san knew that something  
big must have happened if Nabiki hadn't notice him preparing her sundae. He  
scooped a large amount of strawberry ice cream into his mouth. Somehow, as  
if by magic, the clean shaven man before her had come by a pink moustache.  
"How are you feeling today Nabiki-chan?" He couldn't keep the concern from  
his voice, but did his best to take some of the bite away from the young  
woman's pain.
>> 
>> Nabiki couldn't help the tired smile that blossomed on her face, knowing  
full well that the older gentleman's antics were intentional. "I'm okay  
Oji-san. Holding up better than I expected." She hadn't thought about  
Ranma or his sudden departure once in the last two minutes. It was a real  
improvement. "How about you?"
>> 
>> "I'm sitting in the presence of an elegant young woman, eating a Cosmic  
Wangoo. It's almost an epiphany."
>> 
>> "Almost?" She asked. "What could be better than this?"
>> 
>> He smiled mischievously at her and winked. "Grandkids."
>> 
>> Nabiki wadded up a napkin and threw at him. He never changed. First it was  
Kasumi, then Akane when he had discovered the engagement, and now it seemed  
he had shifted his sights to her.
>> 
>> "Is that all you can think about Oji-san?" She said mock pouting.
>> 
>> He looked chastened, but only for a moment. "Come now, Nabiki-chan!" He  
protested. "I need heirs to take over this grand establishment!" He waved  
grandly at the quaint shop that surrounded them. The whole thing sounded so  
familiar, that Nabiki had to laugh. It was a bitter, forced attempt at  
mirth, mixed with salty tears that Nabiki tried to pass off as jovial.
>> 
>> "You think that I'm joking?" The tone of his voice, calm and wise, drew  
Nabiki's attention. She tried to hide the fact that she had been truly  
crying, but when the elderly man handed her his handkerchief, she knew that  
he was sharper than she gave him credit for.
>> 
>> "Not at all Oji-san. It's just," she began, looking around the parlor.  
There was no way that he was serious. She would humor him though, she  
rarely saw him any more. "It's just that you sound like my father." She  
shook her head, while Tanoshii-san simply smiled.
>> 
>> "He sounds like a wise man Nabiki. How are things with Saotome-san?"
>> 
>> She sighed and scooped another spoonful of chocolate ice cream into her  
mouth. "Ranma left this morning."
>> 
>> "Left?" Now it was his turn to be intrigued. "What's that mean? Is he  
gone for good?"
>> 
>> "I'm not sure, the jury's still out as far as Ranma's intentions are  
concerned." She toyed with one of the maraschino cherries in the rapidly  
melting Wangoo. "He didn't really say what his plans were." Her heart was  
feeling particularly empty at the thought of Ranma not returning.
>> 
>> Tanoshii-san patted her wrist and smiled. "Never fear Nabiki-chan. Who  
could resist a woman of your charms?" She had the grace to smirk impishly.
>> 
>> "No one in their right mind." Both laughed and fell into easy conversation  
about simpler times. The after noon shadows grew long as they reminisced,  
allowing Nabiki a nice break from the somber attitude around her home. This  
simple shop owner, with a heart the size of Mount Fuji, had done more to  
heal her wounds in one night, than she had done in six months. He had given  
her hope, helped her talk about her pain, and done it all without Nabiki  
realizing it.
>> 
>> The man seemed to be able to read her mind.
>> 
>> ***********  
Juuban Terminal
>> 
>> Every mother had a special way of embarrassing their children. Some could  
use baby pictures to draw blushes from the toughest of children. Others  
could weave tales that made ears burn with shame. But in the end, there was  
one technique that put them all to shame.Ami liked to call it the "Cool-Mom"  
syndrome. This dreaded affliction started off innocently enough, with the  
mother wanting to understand her child; but it progressively turned into a  
nightmare as the parent tried her best to "be cool".
>> 
>> Ami had endured the torment of her mother listening to popular idol singers,  
and spouting embarrassing slang. She had stoically weathered the sudden  
change in her mother's wardrobe, and even the attempts to change Ami's.  
When her mother had become a model icon of all that it meant to be a  
teenager; well, Ami started to worry.  
Yuriko Mizuno was a complete professional at work, but at play..
>> 
>> There were times that Ami wanted to simply crawl under a rock and die. As  
her mother examined her at the platform, in her tight, florescent yellow pvc  
mini, Ami wished that she could have disappeared with the boy that had saved  
her.
>> 
>> It wasn't right to show that much skin and be a mom.
>> 
>> She didn't have a choice as Sailor Mercury. Her mother however, actively  
sought out the trendy Dayglo outfits, and could be caught humming some tune  
by L'Arc~en~Ciel or another popular band. Ami wasn't jealous.well, not  
really. Who cared if her mother was cooler than she was? Who cared if she  
could out shop Minako, and be as mysterious and sensual as Setsuna? Not Ami,  
nope! She just wished that her mother would act her age, or at the very  
least, with more of a mature dignity than she did.
>> 
>> "So, tell me about this boy that saved you." Ami cringed as her mother  
began the interrogation. "Was he handsome?"
>> 
>> Ami groaned as Usagi launched into a full description, and was even more  
surprised when Hotaru corrected the enthusiastic blonde. As Ami's mother  
began asking about the young man's sizes, the young genius wished that she  
could think up a plausible excuse to leave.
>> 
>> And by the look on Mamoru's blushing face, he was wishing the same thing.
>> 
>> ********  
Saotome home  
Juuban
>> 
>> It had taken Ranma most of the afternoon to find his mother's home. The  
streets and alleys were a veritable maze that continued to confound him. He  
should have come by sooner.
>> 
>> What kind of son ignores his mother? Death or no death, Ranma should have  
at least spoken with her. After six months of silence from the woman Ranma  
had decided that it was past time to make amends. He couldn't stand to lose  
someone else that he loved, and alienating his mom hurt almost as much as  
Akane's death.
>> 
>> Genma said that he had taken care of everything, but that alone worried  
Ranma more than anything he might have done. If there was one thing that  
the young man had learned in his life, it was that Genma had a tendency to  
screw up everything that he touched. Ranma wasn't worried about what Genma  
had told Nodoka.it was what he hadn't told her that made him sick inside.  
If only he hadn't been so lost in himself at the time.if only he had taken a  
moment out to talk to his mother..
>> 
>> If wishes were fishes, Ranma would be king of the ocean by now.
>> 
>> Ranma continued to berate himself as he approached the next street and  
almost missed his mother's home altogether. The only thing that stopped him  
was the sound of someone's Kiyai. He took a moment to get his bearings and  
found himself standing before his mother's front gate.
>> 
>> While not as large as the Tendo Dojo, the Saotome training hall was  
respectable. The large stone wall that surrounded the compound was stoutly  
built, and the large wooden gate was doubly reinforced. Ranma had heard of  
the home being a castle, but he had never seen a house built like one  
before. What else was a woman living alone supposed to do?
>> 
>> Shame filled him.
>> 
>> How many people had he failed to protect? Akane, his mother, Ukyou.the list  
continued to grow as more people continued to surface in his memories.  
Sadly enough, most of the people that had been hurt, were Genma's fault. It  
made him sick to think of all of the young women to whom he had been  
promised to, only to have their hopes dashed when Genma had run away with  
Ranma in tow.
>> 
>> But Genma wasn't the only one that had made bad choices, Ranma's own conduct  
had hurt many people over the years: Ryouga, Shampoo, Ai Watase, Nabiki and  
her family. He needed to find a way to cleanse his stained honor. He  
couldn't stand to look into Kasumi's eyes anymore. The loss that he saw  
there was so much deeper than his own.
>> 
>> "As good as I am, I'm not good enough.." He whispered to the wind. He  
needed to be better than what he was, and that meant that he needed to  
train. Which was the main reason for leaving the Tendos. He wasn't going  
to find what he needed from his old man and Soun. Those two were empty  
wells as far as he was concerned. No, he needed to look else where for his  
lessons; thus he had thought a good place to start was with his mother.
>> 
>> If she would have him..
>> 
>> Ranma sighed and tried to open the gate. Finding it barred from the inside  
started up a whole new round of self-abuse, that continued well after he had  
leapt over the compound's stonewall.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> Nodoka Saotome was a creature of habit. Every morning she would rise with  
the dawn, wash the sleep from her eyes, and then greet the day by performing  
a few simple (at least by Saotome standards) katas. Kendo, the way of the  
sword, was her preferred focus. But she also found pleasure in the way of  
the spear.
>> 
>> Her day was spent working at an orphanage not far from her home, teaching  
the younger children to read and write, and on the weekends she worked at  
the hospital with her friend Yuriko in the pediatrics ward. Early afternoon  
was reserved for walks in the park and general errands no matter what the  
day. By five o'clock, she had returned home, spent some time in her garden,  
and eaten a light dinner. By six, she was back in the dojo reviewing what  
she had learned that morning and throughout the day. This practice session  
was by far more strenuous than the morning, and more often than not the  
Satome matriarch would ultimately lose herself in the practice. It wasn't  
much of a life, but until Genma decided to come home it was all that she  
had.
>> 
>> Nodokoa picked up her towel and rested her bokken on the rack next to the  
other practice weapons. She had gotten so used to the house being empty,  
that she could pick up on visitors right away; it was almost like a sixth  
sense. Ten some odd years of waiting by the door for your husband and son  
tended to do that to a woman. Nodoka left the dojo, toweling her face, and  
praying that it wasn't that Ruijuri man. She was getting sick of telling  
the man no.
>> 
>> He had the annoying ability to slip through locked doors, and the penchant  
for disregarding everything that Nodoka said; polite or otherwise. The fact  
that he would sneak a peak on her in her bath was flattering, but enough was  
enough. She had avoided outright violence up until now, but she began to  
rethink her strategy. Maybe it was time to start giving him a harsher  
denial. Somehow, she doubted that it would work.
>> 
>> The young man sitting on her front steps wasn't Kanta Ruijuri, not by a long  
shot. Nodoka dropped the towel at the sight of her son. She had never seen  
him looking so tired and worn. To the common eye he looked fine to be sure;  
but a mother could pick out a hundred different things that a doctor couldn'  
t when her children's health was being jeopardized.
>> 
>> There were dark circles under his eyes, and the pallid sheen of his skin was  
anything but healthy. Everything about the young man was off kilter. The  
way that he seemed to be slightly hunched over, and the listless way that he  
watched her approach told her that something was terribly wrong.
>> 
>> She wasted no time in welcoming him, immediately embracing him and bathing  
him in her love and concern. It didn't matter what was wrong, or that she  
hadn't spoken with him in six months. All that she saw was her son's pain,  
and like any mother she was bound and determined to heal whatever was  
troubling him. He tried to smile when she pushed him to arm's length, but  
the gesture was little more than a grimace.
>> 
>> It must have been worse than she thought.
>> 
>> **********
>> 
>> Ranma had more than anything, to speak to his mother. He had gotten so far  
as to open his mouth to apologize for being away fro so long, when she had  
all but tackled him. The air was forced from his lungs by her enthusiasm,  
and he found himself smiling despite his guilt. No one could match this  
warmth. She pushed him out to arm's length and began looking him over, and  
Ranma smiled for her benefit, to show that everything was fine. She didn't  
buy it, and he could tell that something was wrong.
>> 
>> It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. No mention of Akane,  
and the missing condolences confirmed what he had known all along. Pops  
hadn't told his mother anything about what had happened.
>> 
>> He cursed the old fart up one end and down the other, before trying to  
figure out how he was going to tell his mother about what had happened.
>> 
>> **********
>> 
>> The emptiness in Ranma's face and the mountain of guilt hiding behind his  
eyes hit her like a fist. What could cause him to look this way? Had he  
done something wrong? Yes, that seemed a good guess, but there was  
something more. She studied him for a time, saying nothing, coming up and  
discarding possibilities left and right. She had learned a great deal about  
Ranma from the people that she had spoken with in Nerima. He wasn't a thief  
like his father, though he was known to "appropriate" things from time to  
time; usually during a battle if her sources were correct. No it wasn't  
theft. But someone had been hurt by his actions.
>> 
>> The amount of loss in his demeanor wasn't the type that could be associated  
with serious injury. Ranma wouldn't have even been here if someone had  
gotten hurt that badly. She was sure that he would have been by their side,  
encouraging them to get better. No it was more serious than that. The  
color slowly drained from her face at the realization.
>> 
>> Someone had died.
>> 
>> Genma? No, there was too much personal attachment to this open wound. Ranma  
would be more outwardly concerned with breaking the news to her. Besides,  
she had spoken with her husband last week on the phone and Genma had sounded  
fine. In fact, the man had gone on about how close Ranma and his fiancée  
were growing.
>> 
>> It couldn't have been Akane, if that were the case; so it must have been one  
of the boys that Ranma sparred with. That Ryoga boy that Ranma was so close  
to was the only one that made sense. Unless of course it was one of the  
other young women that followed Ranma around. She sighed heavily as she  
watched her son turn his face away. She wasn't getting anywhere with  
speculation. Best that she address the issue head on and get the story from  
Ranma.
>> 
>> "What's wrong son?"
>> 
>> She had been expecting a lot of things: to be brushed off with a smile,  
Ranma walling himself off from her, and even tears. But Ranma's face  
darkening with anger was not on her list.
>> 
>> "He didn't tell you did he?"
>> 
>> Nodoka looked at her son, perplexed.
>> 
>> Her estranged son sighed wearily and gently pushed himself free of his  
mother's embrace. She watched as the helpless rage built within him,  
looking for an escape.
>> 
>> "The bastard told me that you knew. He promised on his honor that he'd told  
you." Ranma snorted and sunk back onto the steps weakly. "Like that's ever  
meant anything to him." The anger, coupled with the already existing rage in  
his heart boiled over. His fist streaked down and spider-webbed a large  
stone that started the walk to the dojo. He didn't register the blood on  
his knuckles, or anything else for that matter. Nodoka watched her son  
slowly curl into himself, trying to keep the shame and the pain at bay.
>> 
>> "Damn you old man! For once just do the right thing!" Ranma had no clue  
where to begin his tale.
>> 
>> There was nothing worse than failing someone you loved, but mothers, in  
general, were in a class all of their own. To shame them.especially when  
they loved you so much was sacrilege. For Ranma, failing his mother was not  
an option. It was a matter of life and death; or at least it had been.  
That wasn't the reason that he hid his face in shame though. Nodoka Saotome  
was a special woman, and Ranma had hurt her a thousand times over. The last  
thing that he wanted to do was reveal to her that he had been the cause of  
his fiancee's death.
>> 
>> As Nodoka settled herself next to Ranma, her arms immediately wrapped around  
her son in what she had meant to be a comforting embrace. The young warrior  
flinched, but did not pull away, not physically at least.
>> 
>> "Tell me what happened Ranma." She tried to make her voice soothing and  
accepting. But, when her son looked into her eyes she readily saw the fear  
in them; the fear of rejection and the fear of betrayal.
>> 
>> Nodoka cursed Genma for teaching her son to fear her so.
>> 
>> "I promise everything will be okay. You are my son, and I love you."
>> 
>> Ranma fidgeted a moment more, but her admission of love melted his defenses.  
The tale began and in less than two minutes she was cursing the name of  
Genma Saotome, and in less than five minutes Nodoka's cheeks were wet with  
heart-felt tears. She had had such dreams for Ranma and Akane, and now they  
were gone. She wanted to hold her baby, but something kept her rooted to  
her seat while her son continued his grim tale. He spoke simply, with a  
hopeless detachment.
>> 
>> How many times had he told it? He hid nothing, reliving every terrible  
moment, and hearing every sound as if it had been yesterday. Nodoka, like  
any good mother, mourned for him.
>> 
>> **********  
Nerima
>> 
>> By the time Nabiki's conversation lost its steam, she found herself closing  
the shop with the elderly gentleman. Night had fallen and a pleasant stroll  
through the cool, spring night lay before her.
>> 
>> "Well Nabiki-chan, I must say that it was nice to have help for a change."  
He arched his back, making a sour face as he worked his sore muscles.
>> 
>> She graced him with one of her trademarked smirks before poking him in the  
belly. "You could always hire some more help you know."
>> 
>> "Are you looking for a job?" He asked teasingly.
>> 
>> "For fifty percent of the profits.I'd think about it."
>> 
>> "Ouch! You mean that you would deprive this old man of his hard-earned  
money? Nabiki!" His banter was light and in jest, but she knew that he was  
serious.
>> 
>> "Of course not Oji-san! I'm a modern girl with modern needs though. Bills  
to pay, and a bottomless pit for a fiancée that I'll have to feed. Not to  
mention college!" She was about to expound more, when he held up his hands  
to ward her off.
>> 
>> "I get the picture! I get the picture."
>> 
>> Nabiki smiled and kissed his cheek. "You know, if you really need me, I  
might be able to swing something between classes."
>> 
>> He seemed on the point of protest, but looking into her bright brown eyes,  
he decided against it. She hid her pain well, but he could see it clearly  
enough. It might just be what the doctor ordered for a lonely heart.
>> 
>> "Well.." He tapped his index finger against his lips and scrutinized her  
from head to toe. "I could use someone on Saturday nights. If Saotome-san  
can part with you for a few hours, I humbly accept the offer."
>> 
>> Nabiki looked out the window for a moment before answering. "I don't think  
that will be a problem. We can negotiate terms of service later."  
Tanoshii-san winced appreciatively.
>> 
>> "Be gentle." He said meekly, earning himself a playful punch in the arm.
>> 
>> "You worry too much Oji-san! I'm not that bad."
>> 
>> "So you say now."
>> 
>> "Ooooh! You!"
>> 
>> Tanoshii-san laughed, a full-bellied act that reminded her of Santa. She  
smirked and punched his arm again. "I've got get home. Daddy's going to be  
worried sick about me."
>> 
>> Tanoshii-san waved for her to wait, as he stumbled over to one of his  
refrigerators. She watched as he dug about for a moment before pulling out  
a large, brown paper sack.
>> 
>> ".for hee hee. Kasumi-chan. snicker.!"
>> 
>> Nabiki could only shake her head. "You really need to get out more."
>> 
>> The comment only made him laugh harder.
>> 
>> The pair bowed to each other, one with a little more dignity than the other,  
and then Nabiki was walking home. She had made the trip, what? A thousand  
times it seemed. But there was something different in the air tonight.
>> 
>> Something that set her on edge.something dangerous.
>> 
>> The long shadows cast by street lamps held eyes that watched her every step,  
and whispered softly at her passing. Her pace quickened as she entered a  
particularly narrow alley that would shave a good ten minutes off of her  
walk home. The moment that she entered the narrow way, she knew that she  
had made a terrible mistake. The night was blacker here, and the voices  
seemed to gather in both volume and number, while remaining as indistinct  
and garbled as before.
>> 
>> She knew that she heard her name whispered, followed by an insane giggle.  
Others followed until the whole alley was echoing with laughter.
>> 
>> **ohpleaseohpleaseohplease!** Her mind, normally so focused, was now  
experiencing true terror; and Nabiki did the only smart thing that she could  
think of: She ran.
>> 
>> As the exit to the alley opened before her, her heart soared with relief.  
If only she could make it into the light! Her legs ached, and her chest was  
cold from fear and the ice cream that Tanoshii-san had given her.
>> 
>> Ten feet from the exit the laughter stopped, and the whispering began again;  
excited and filled with anticipation.
>> 
>> "She's the one. I'm sure of it!"
>> 
>> "The Huntress. Call the Huntress!"
>> 
>> **Oh God! They're coming for me!**
>> 
>> "Run with her. Play with her!"
>> 
>> "The Huntress!"
>> 
>> Seven feet from the exit, she heard movement from above her.pacing her.
>> 
>> Her lungs burned with the exertion of sprinting, and she flung the ice cream  
away from her to free up her arms. **I'm too young for this damnit!** She  
knew that she should have kept up her training, if for no other reason than  
this very situation. Reputation could only take you so far, and now that  
both Akane and Ranma were gone, she would have to rely on herself.
>> 
>> Five feet from the safety of the street, she heard the fluttering of cloth.  
It was a familiar enough sound. Ranma's clothes had made the sound enough  
times, when descending from the roof of the dojo..
>> 
>> **Oh %^#&!!! They're above me!**
>> 
>> Three feet. she saw a shadow move to block the alley's exit.
>> 
>> Tears of frustration filled her eyes as she pushed herself harder. There  
was no way in Hell that she was going to let these bastards trap her so  
easily! She ducked her head low and presented her shoulder like a  
battering ram before her mad dash.
>> 
>> Two feet.she felt something trip her and then she went tumbling into the  
waiting arms of the shadow before her. She started to scream even as the  
groping arms sought to hold her. Reflex kicked in and she began to kick and  
thrash for her life, bringing more than a few grunts from the rock solid man  
that held her. Her forgotten training kicked in, and the man was forced to  
start blocking her furious kicks.
>> 
>> She managed to get an arm free, and put it to good use; hitting her captor  
with an opened palm strike across the jaw, that made his head rock backward.
>> 
>> Someone behind her laughed, causing her to struggle more.
>> 
>> "That's enough!" Nabiki heard a distinctively feminine voice come from  
behind her. "Yoshitsune, let Tendo-san go." The vice like arms refused to  
loosen their hold.
>> 
>> "Awww, come on Hato-chan! This is just getting' good! Yoshi-kun hasn't  
seen a girl in eons, and here one just throws herself into his arms!"  
Mocking laughter filled the alley, causing the arms to loosen slightly.  
Nabiki broke free, and landed in a heap at the foot of the towering shadow  
before her. "Who better than Tendo-san? It's almost like they were fated  
for each other." The voice was filled with casual sarcasm.
>> 
>> "Do as I say. Now." The one called Hato could have frozen a lit grill with  
the frigidity of her voice.
>> 
>> Yoshitsune relinquished his hold on Nabiki only after he helped her to her  
feet. It was an opening that she exploited to its fullest. Her knee came  
up with a precision that every woman seems born with, unerringly hitting a  
very sensitive spot that dropped the man to his knees.
>> 
>> She bolted for the street, but felt a hand snag her wrist and fling her back  
into the alley with inhuman strength. The results were predictable. Two  
pair of hands immediately grabbed her, pulling her arms out wide, and  
holding her feet immobile.
>> 
>> "LET GO OF ME YOU PERVERTED BASTARDS! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HEEEEEELP!"
>> 
>> A firm hand placed itself over Nabiki's mouth, causing her screams to become  
little more than muffled grunts. She struggled some more, trying to free  
herself to no avail.
>> 
>> "Are you sure she's the one?" A quiet, measured voice asked. "Somehow, I  
expected more."
>> 
>> "Shut up and tend to your brother."
>> 
>> A beautiful face entered her vision then, timeless in a way that made Nabiki  
feel like a little girl again. The woman's nose was just a tad too large for  
her face, but it seemed to enhance her beauty, rather than detract from it.
>> 
>> "Tendo-san," her voice was soothing, not unlike Kasumi's, but it held a  
hidden steel that brooked no nonsense. "We are not here to harm you." The  
sincerity in her voice caused Nabiki to relax. "My brothers are brutes with  
a twisted sense of humor. I apologize if they frightened you."
>> 
>> She motioned to the two holding Nabiki, and shrugged. She motioned for the  
pair to release their captive, and Nabiki found herself free, but trapped  
between the chuckling men behind her and the shrewd woman before her.
>> 
>> "It was a good joke!" A man's voice sounded from somewhere over her left  
shoulder. "You should have seen your face!" The man at her right shoulder  
snorted and tried to keep from giggling. Too bad he wasn't trying hard  
enough.
>> 
>> Nabiki smirked and nodded her head. She even chuckled some. Best to humor  
her captives until she could find a weakness to exploit.
>> 
>> She started weighing the situation, and the people around her. She counted  
five: the two immediately behind her, Hato, the recovering Yoshitsune, and a  
fat midget that was eating Kasumi's discarded ice cream. Their features  
were all shrouded by the dark alley but she could tell that they all had  
fairly large noses, everyone except Yoshitsune.
>> 
>> As the man in question finally righted himself, and stepped into the light  
Nabiki's breath caught in her throat. He had to have been the single most  
handsome man that she had ever laid eyes on! Clean-shaven and tall, he had  
his silky, black hair cropped short and tied back into a small ponytail.
>> 
>> She immediately regretted kicking him in the groin.
>> 
>> The ice cream thief behind her, snorted sending ice cream spraying out of  
his nose. He began to hack and cough uncontrollably, while the others  
looked at the blushing Yoshitsune, biting their lips to control their own  
laughter. Nabiki didn't really notice this, her eyes were captivated by the  
subtle way that the man moved. He wasn't as graceful as Ranma, but there  
was a maturity in his step, that Nabiki couldn't help but appreciate.
>> 
>> She wondered what it would be like to wrestle with him again.
>> 
>> Laughter erupted from every voice, like a dam breaking under strain. Nabiki  
looked around at the people as if they were mad, wondering what she had  
missed. The only one not laughing was Yoshitsune. His face seemed to glow  
bright red.
>> 
>> It was really cute. He seemed even more vulnerable than Ranma.
>> 
>> The laughing quartet fell to the ground, clutching their sides against their  
mirth. It was enough to bring Yoshitsune stalking over to her.
>> 
>> **Listen woman!** Nabiki was shocked to hear a man's voice echo forcefully  
in her mind; yet his lips did not budge a whit. **I would appreciate it, if  
you would kindly keep your perverted thoughts to yourself!**
>> 
>> The laughter turned to howls.
>> 
>> "You can hear my thoughts?" Nabiki asked incredulously. He had the softest  
looking skin, she wondered what it felt like. And those eyes! They were so  
dark that they could swallow a woman whole, without her knowing it.
>> 
>> "Here!" He said angrily, grabbing Nabiki's hand and bringing it up to his  
face. "This is what my skin feels like! Are you satisfied?"
>> 
>> It was soft.
>> 
>> The midget whistled a cat-call, causing his two brethren to double over  
more. Hato tittered, wiping the tears from her cheeks and trying to stand  
at the same time. Reality hit Nabiki like a ton of bricks, lighting up her  
face as much as Yoshitsune's had. She tried to make her mouth work, but  
nothing came out.
>> 
>> "We don't have time for this. Mother is expecting us." Yoshitsune grumbled  
and tapped the back of Nabiki's neck. The last thing that she remembered  
was falling into his protective arms.and being grateful for it. She knew  
that she was betraying Ranma, but strangely, she felt no guilt in this.
>> 
>> It felt right.
>> 
>> ********  
Saotome Dojo
>> 
>> "He has known about her death for six months, and has lied to me the entire  
time!" Nodoka was furious, that much was certain. And by the way that she  
held her teacup, one could almost imagine her crushing the life out of her  
husband. "He told me that they were going on an extended training trip to  
Nepal, to learn a obscure technique! He even had Soun confirm it!" She  
growled and spider webs began to make their way up the sides of her cup. "I  
can't believe that I fell for his lies again! 'Not to worry honey. Ranma's  
getting closer to his fiancée everyday, and by the time we return everyone  
will be ready for the ceremony!' Jerk!"
>> 
>> She set the cup down and took a deep cleansing breath. Nodoka looked at her  
oldest, dearest friend in the world and shook her head. "You were right  
Yuriko. It's past time that Genma learned a lesson."
>> 
>> **********  
Hojiro's Bar  
Nerima
>> 
>> Genma sneezed in his beer, then looked worriedly at his old friend Soun.  
This wasn't a good sign.
>> 
>> "I think that I know where Ranma went Soun."
>> 
>> The Tendo patriarch looked up from his own mug happily.
>> 
>> "Great news Saotome! Let's go fetch him!"
>> 
>> **********  
Saotome Dojo
>> 
>> "When I get my hands on the man, I swear that I will skin him alive! Him  
and that no good friend of his!"
>> 
>> ***********  
Hojiro's
>> 
>> Genma and Soun both sneezed in unison, and felt a cold shiver run up and  
down their spines. Their beer mugs and three mirrors in the bar all cracked  
simultaneously, leading both men to the conclusion that this might not be  
the best course of action.
>> 
>> ***********  
Saotome Dojo
>> 
>> Yuriko Mizuno merely nodded at her friend as she sipped her tea. To her  
mind, removing Genma from the gene pool was a good thing. The frantic call  
that she had received from Nodoka drew her away from the relaxing bubble  
bath that she had earned after two weeks of solid conferences and traveling.  
After having heard of the long list of abuses that Ranma had endured, Dr.  
Mizuno was wondering how Genma was still alive.
>> 
>> "What am I to do Yuri-chan?" Nodoka set her teacup down and wearily let her  
face drop into her hands. "I haven't seen Ranma for any real length of time  
in eleven years! And he returns to me now, with all of this weighing him  
down! You have a daughter his age, where do I start? How do I help him?"  
She never would have admitted it to anyone but Yuriko, but she was suddenly  
feeling out of her element. She knew how to deal with small children.  
Grieving teenaged martial artists were just not her forte.
>> 
>> "There's no text book for any of this No-chan. You do what comes  
naturally." Yuriko said, matter-of-factly. "You love him. You comfort  
him. You take care of his physical needs. And most of all you talk to him."  
She sipped her tea and smiled. Who would have thought of her giving advice  
on dealing with teenagers? If only Nodoka knew.. "Not just about Akane,  
but about the present and the future. Move him out of the past slowly, and  
remind him that there is a life that he needs to live. Get him to make some  
goals, send him back to school, get him involved with things that will help  
him move beyond his grief."
>> 
>> Nodoka nodded thoughtfully and picked up her teacup again.
>> 
>> Yuriko wished that it could have been as easy for her Ami. Divorce was  
never an easy thing for a child, and when Ami's father had abandoned them  
for his slut, her baby girl moved into her own little world of tests and  
study groups. Yuriko couldn't seem to move the girl back into the real  
world.
>> 
>> She'd been trying for ages, but the farthest she had gotten with the girl,  
was the hospital New Years party; one glass of wine, and the girl vowed  
never to socialize again. Who could have known that Ami had such a low  
tolerance for alcohol? Everyone had loved her singing voice, and had gone  
out of their way to compliment her on it. And the Chief of Surgery had  
really enjoyed the dance.
>> 
>> The only thing going for Ami-chan, were her friends. There were a few that  
seemed to remind Ami that there was a world outside of books, that Aino girl  
specifically. Now then, if they could only get Ami a good boyfriend, Yuriko  
could relax and be assured that her daughter wasn't going to live in the  
closet for the rest of her life. Maybe she could kill two birds with one  
stone..
>> 
>> Dr. Mizuno sighed and drained her tea in one gulp. "Where is Ranma now?"
>> 
>> Nodoka frowned and sat her cup down. "In the dojo. He needed time to  
himself."
>> 
>> Yuriko nodded and stood, straightening her blouse. "Well, let's go see  
him."
>> 
>> "Is that wise Yuri-chan?"
>> 
>> Dr. Mizuno gave her friend a thumbs up. "Doctor's orders." She put her arm  
around Nodoka's shoulder and hugged her gently. "Just introduce us; help  
him get his mind off of his guilt. Meeting new people will help make the  
transition easier."
>> 
>> "But.I don't want Ranma to get the wrong idea." Nodoka was uneasy about  
introducing Yuriko as "Dr. Mizuno"; she looked at her friend worriedly. "He  
's just come home Yuriko, I don't want to drive him off."
>> 
>> To her credit Yuriko understood, and squeezed Nodoka's hand. Her relaxing  
smile eased Nodoka's tension. "You worry too much No-chan. As far as I see  
it, Ranma will need someone to show him around Juuban. A good friend, with  
no romantic ties.." She trailed off and left the rest to her friend to  
piece together.
>> 
>> "Do you know someone like that?"
>> 
>> No-chan, Yuriko reflected, had never been that quick on the uptake; after  
all, she had married Genma.despite all of the signs. Still, Yuriko had to  
admit that the woman had a lot on her mind; so she was entitled to a little  
leeway. She nodded her head and smiled mysteriously, motioning for her  
friend to lead the way.
>> 
>> The smile alone would have unnerved Ranma's mother, had she seen it, but  
Nodoka was already moving towards the dojo; oblivious to everything but her  
son's welfare.
>> 
>> ********  
Banyankala Province, China
>> 
>> Salt watched as a man descended from the Ho Min pass and into the valley of  
the Musk amidst the unnatural storm. The omen itself was lost on the  
towering giant, but he could see that any man that braved a tempest of such  
magnitude, and do so without any clothes on, had to be dangerous. He looked  
down at his smaller companion, Cayenne, the anxiety plain on his face. Salt  
came from a distinguished line that had the mark of the panda in their  
lineage, and his black and white hair made him a handsome figure.
>> 
>> Unfortunately he had very little in the way of common sense. Cayenne on the  
other hand was Salt's opposite. No one would ever mistake him for being  
attractive, but his intellect made him more than a match for any man. His  
reddish hair and dark eyes easily marked him as descended from a wily fox.
>> 
>> Cayenne and Salt had honed their skills to near perfection as a fighting  
team. Alone they could be bested within minutes, but together they had  
given even the almighty Herb a run for his money.
>> 
>> Cayenne relayed a complex battle strategy to his large companion with a few  
deft hand signals, and then returned his attention to the naked man  
advancing on their position. The way his gut knotted painfully told him  
that this would be his last battle. He simply prayed that he could sell his  
life dearly.
>> 
>> The innumerable shadowy figures that rose up behind the man dashed that  
pretense against the sharp rocks of reality. They couldn't outrun the  
oncoming horde, they couldn't warn their master in time to be of any help,  
and there was no way that they could make a dent in the army that was  
backing this lone figure.
>> 
>> Well, there was one option. But he would die before he took the coward's  
way out. Treason was for fools and Amazons. He looked up at Salt's white  
face, and tapped his broad thigh to get his attention. The fear in the man'  
s eyes twisted the knot in his own stomach more.
>> 
>> He shook his head to clear his thoughts. With one distinct slash of his  
hand, he changed their plans. It was a risky play, but if they could pull  
it off, hopefully Lord Herb would have some warning and even some time to  
prepare.
>> 
>> Salt nodded and lifted his partner onto his shoulders, and together they  
began to absorb the essence of the earth beneath their feet. Their flesh  
took on the hardness of stone, and their blood ran molten, like the molten  
core of the Earth itself. This was a suicide maneuver, developed against  
the chance that they would one day face a foe that they could not defeat by  
any other means.
>> 
>> The naked man stopped his advance, and watched in admiration as the fighting  
pair gathered their energies. It seemed that this world hadn't forgotten  
all of the old ways. He wondered though, how much was actually remembered;  
after all ten thousand years had a way of dulling the collective memory.  
Ahbrim Ur le the pair before him continue to gather energy, after all he  
felt that he owed them that much.
>> 
>> They had acted with valor when most men would have wet themselves and run  
away. Let them die with the dignity that they deserved.
>> 
>> The earth rolled beneath his feet and Ur smiled knowingly, then raised his  
hands to the Heavens. The shadowy army melted away as if it had never  
existed, leaving the man alone and surrounded by a bloody red aura.
>> 
>> Cayenne's eyes flashed bronze in the night, and then the ground erupted  
beneath their feet. Lava exploded around them burning away their bodies  
even before they had completed their arc. In the team's place a miniature  
volcano blasted the blood of the Earth high into the sky, igniting the  
surrounding forest and making the pass secure; for a time at least.
>> 
>> *********
>> 
>> Many leagues away, in the mighty palace of the Musk Dynasty, Herb listened  
to one of his lieutenant's report on the death of Salt and Cayenne.
>> 
>> He had already dispatched the call to arms upon hearing of their demise, but  
somehow he knew that it was too late. Scattered pockets had already  
encountered the shadow beasts, and Herb knew that his plans to call upon the  
people of Mount Phoenix for aid would come too late. A second lieutenant  
reported the demise of another pair of sentries in the Xi Feng Wei Pass, on  
the other side of the valley, which made it evident that the enemy was going  
to box them in. The third aide reported the fall of the Emperor's castle a  
moment later, and was quickly followed by a fourth aide, who reported the  
fall of the third outpost to the south.
>> 
>> Herb was already calling for a strategic evacuation. He just prayed that  
his people would make it to the castle before the enemy did.
>> 
>> ********  
Juuban  
Hikawa Jinja
>> 
>> There is a shrine atop a hill. And in that shrine there lived an old man,  
his apprentice, and his beautiful granddaughter. The old man was wise, and  
filled with the fire of life, the apprentice was warm hearted, like warm  
coals, but the granddaughter.the granddaughter was the heart of the fire.  
Passionate and consuming, she was her grandfather's greatest joy.
>> 
>> When she had been unnerved by a vision, the grandfather took up her duties  
tending the great flame. He had not done so in years, and had forgotten the  
simple joy that could be found in quiet moments such as these. Yet, like  
the dried grass of autumn, such moments are consumed by the fires of change.
>> 
>> Rei's Grandfather watched mesmerized as the Sacred Fire flared for the third  
time. The noise in the shrine was deafening, as the cries of the dying fed  
the flames. Warriors battled shadowy demons, paying the ultimate price for  
the sake of the people fleeing into a mighty castle. He knew that the  
palace would fall, but for the short time that remained to the people it was  
their bastion of hope. The evil that committed the slaughter could not be  
identified, nor did he know who the man in the mismatched clothing was. Rei  
's grandfather did know that this was only the beginning of the death toll.
>> 
>> He heard a gasp behind him, and a tray clattered to the floor. Heavy  
ceramic teacups bounced noisily across the floor, stubbornly refusing to  
break; and the heavy kettle spilled its bounty in a wide arc before the  
raven haired girl. The pattern of the liquid was oddly shaped to the old  
man's eyes; it cut a deep crescent where the kettle had rolled away from  
Rei.
>> 
>> "Grandpa.." Rei's voice was choked, as she pointed to the flames. They had  
grown to the size of a tall man, and in fact had taken on the form of the  
man from the battle; a man that had come to this fire before. ".grandpa it'  
s him!"
>> 
>> "Tell her that I am coming for her." The voice was hollow and cruel as it  
echoed off of the shrine's walls. The flames made the man's visage demonic,  
an effect that was made all the more evil by the sudden, casual murder of a  
young boy that had run across the man's path. "Tell her Mars! There is no  
hope of escape!"
>> 
>> Rei gasped and tried to back out of the room as the fires grew large, the  
sound of someone chanting in the background was barely noted. All that she  
could see was the giant before her, as he tossed the body aside. Ahbrim Ur'  
s flaming form towered over her, dominated her, and made her feel terribly  
small.
>> 
>> What could she do?
>> 
>> The chanting increased, and the fire began to recede. Ur's terrible smile  
faded with it, leaving Rei and her grandfather panting. The Sacred Fire  
was nothing more than calm embers, casting an angry glow throughout the  
room.
>> 
>> "Are.you.okay, Rei-chan?"
>> 
>> The young woman nodded her head, afraid of what she might do if forced to  
speak.
>> 
>> "Good." Her Grandfather scooted over to where she sat, and cupped her  
cheeks in his wizened old hands. "Now then, I think you have a message to  
deliver."
>> 
>> Rei looked up at her grandfather blankly, then with a deep dread, understood  
what he was saying. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
>> 
>> Grandpa Hino patted the girl's hand and smiled. "I think you do. Besides,  
who else in this shrine has the temper of a war god?" He chuckled softly as  
he stood, stretching his back. "You go make your call while I wake  
Yurichiro. We need to cleanse the basin and shrine tonight, no to mention  
prepare for guests."
>> 
>> The old man wobbled out of the shrine, leaving his granddaughter to blink at  
his retreating form. He paused before leaving the shrine and looked over  
his shoulder at his granddaughter. "Could you ask them to come in those  
nifty fuku that you all wear?"
>> 
>> Rei turned white.
>> 
>> "There's nothing more inspiring to a man, than a woman's legs." Grandpa  
Hino sighed wistfully and slipped out into the night, leaving Rei blinking  
in his wake. She was too shocked to wonder at how he had known about her,  
but that wasn't the only thing bothering her.
>> 
>> "HEY! What do you mean 'temper'!"
>> 
>> ********  
Juuban
>> 
>> Yuriko had expected many things from Ranma. Nodoka had talked about him  
enough that Dr. Mizuno felt that she already knew the boy. Her old friend  
had bragged about his skill in "The Art", and Yuriko had simply written  
No-chan's descriptions off as a proud mother, dressing up the truth. Now  
that she stood before Ranma, watching him work his magic, she realized that  
Nodoka had been holding back.
>> 
>> Ranma was moving across the dojo furiously, and the evidence of his violent  
passing was littered about the dojo floor. His wrath was awesome to behold,  
but it was nothing compared to what he did when he slowed to work the worn,  
oak Wing Chun dummy. She could see the terrible pain that ate at his soul,  
and every strike was delivered with a precision that under the right  
conditions could easily crush the dummy.
>> 
>> "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"
>> 
>> Yuriko's mind boggled as Ranma's hands and legs blurred. His face remained  
poised above a cloud of after images that her mind could only begin to  
register. The only other way that she knew him to be moving at all, were  
the sharp staccato beats of his fists and feet striking the wood.  
How was he moving so fast? It seemed humanly impossible to the doctor, but  
the evidence was unfolding right before her eyes. A loud crack sounded, and  
the Wing Chun dummy was brutally splintered; pieces shot out in every  
direction, one even coming as close as three feet away from Yuriko on the  
left.
>> 
>> "Ranma." Nodoka's gentle yet disapproving voice somehow cut through the  
noise of the dummy's demise.
>> 
>> The dark haired boy paused and looked up at his mother, then at her guest.  
A look passed between the two, and Yuriko knew from experience that she had  
missed out on an entire conversation. Her suspicions were confirmed when  
Ranma ducked his head. "Sorry Mom."
>> 
>> Nodoka seemed satisfied and let the matter drop.
>> 
>> "Ranma I have someone that I would like you to meet."
>> 
>> Ranma stretched his neck from left to right, and then took his first good  
look at his mother's friend. Nodoka was a beautiful woman. Ranma had  
always known that. She was naturally graced with attractive features and  
classical mannerisms that made her elegant.
>> 
>> Her friend however, had what most men would consider a dancer's sensuality.  
Ranma was reminded of Shampoo in the way that the woman was built, but she  
lacked Shampoo's grace and economy. Still, by her long legs and loose  
clothing, Ranma could see what most men drooled over. The not so traditional  
"A-cut", where her hair was cropped close at the back and long, tapered  
bangs at the front made her wild and fresh.
>> 
>> Ranma revised his opinion. She wasn't like Shampoo, so much as she reminded  
Ranma of Nabiki. She had the same mischievous smile, and sly glint to her  
eye, but there was a fully developed gentility to her that Nabiki was only  
now discovering. Ranma bowed to Yuriko, and tried not to think about the  
home he had just left behind.
>> 
>> Yuriko watched Ranma's reaction carefully, but didn't see any of the normal  
teenaged hormones that she had grown used to. In some ways it was  
disappointing to her. When Ranma bowed, she took her cue and immediately  
stepped forward. She grabbed his hand in a western style handshake, and  
began shaking his hand vigorously.
>> 
>> "Yuriko Mizuno, Ranma-kun. I used to work with your mother at the  
orphanage." Nodoka seemed to relax as Ranma shook Yuriko's hand. She was  
surprised when Ranma looked at her in surprise.
>> 
>> Ranma felt yet another emotional blow, as he learned what she did with her  
life, and he felt terribly guilty about his ignorance. He didn't even know  
the woman that had birthed him...another notch on his belt. Yuriko smiled  
at Nodoka over Ranma's shoulder and gave her friend a thumbs up. Had the  
woman been more attentive, she might have seen that mountain of guilt weigh  
heavier on Ranma's shoulders. He couldn't bring himself to embarrass his  
mother in front of her friend, so the pain and the self-recrimination was  
locked away, then buried for good measure.
>> 
>> "Pleasure to meet ya Mizuno-san." His voice was reserved when he returned  
his attention to Yuriko, but his smile was genuine.
>> 
>> Polite. Reserved. Handsome smile. Delicious body.Ahem! Broken speech  
pattern.
>> 
>> Yuriko began tallying all the data, and quickly came to a conclusion. Ranma  
+ Ami = A perfect resolution to a repressed daughter who was too afraid of  
boys to get out and enjoy life. There were more tests to be run before she  
would know for sure whether Ranma was right for her baby girl, but the  
initial data was promising. Yes, those two birds were really in for it  
alright!
>> 
>> Dr. Mizuno, contrary to popular belief did want grandchildren one day. And  
if Ranma could break through Ami's shyness.well, all the better! Ranma was  
amazingly healthy from what she could see, and having No-chan as her  
daughter's mother-in-law was a wonderful idea.
>> 
>> Now, how to do it without scaring the boy off? Subtlety was the key. She  
had to do it with style. Ranma was new to the area, how about Ami as a  
guide? And if that didn't work, she could always introduce the idea of a  
tutor to Nodoka; from what she had gathered, Ranma hadn't had much in the  
way of a formal education. Ami would of course have to work one on one with  
this handsome young man, which would inevitably cure the boy of his grief.
>> 
>> Yuriko seemed to daze off for some time, dreaming about little Ranma's and  
Ami's running around her office, playing with stethoscopes and tongue  
depressors.
>> 
>> Nodoka and Ranma watched the woman chew on her lip and smile, and were  
unnerved by the feverish gleam in her eye. The fact that she was still  
shaking Ranma's hand and giggling only worsened the effect.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> End Part Two


	3. Progeny Chapter 3

Untitled Document

> > Progeny  
By Jeffrey Vasquez
>> 
>> Disclaimer:
>> 
>> The characters of Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon are the express property of their  
respective creators, or whoever is currently holding their leases. I don't  
pretend to own them.
>> 
>> The rest belong to me.
>> 
>> Author's note:
>> 
>> This chapter was huge (a whopping 96 mb!), so I had to break it into two parts.  
I tried to get all of the formatting mistakes with this edit, but I'm sure that I've  
missed some. Outside of that I hope that you enjoy this chapter.
>> 
>> What has gone before:
>> 
>> Nabiki, in the hopes to lift her spirits, goes to visit a friend, on her way  
home from Tanoshii's Ice Cream shop she is abducted by a group of rather  
strange people. Ami is embarrassed by her mother, and must endure her  
friends gossiping about the nice boy that saved her. Ranma arrives at his  
mother's home and discovers that she didn't know about Akane's death,  
despite assurances from Genma. Nodoka invites her best friend, one Dr.  
Yuriko Mizuno, over to ask for her advice, while Ranma works off some of his  
anger in the dojo. The Musk are attacked and driven from their ancestral  
home. And Rei's grandfather reveals that he knows more about what's going  
on than everyone thinks. Yuriko comes up with a great plan to help her baby  
girl get a life.
>> 
>> Enjoy!
>> 
>> Chapter Three Part I:
>> 
>> **********  
Monday: Early Morning  
Somewhere in the Banyankala Mountain Range.
>> 
>> "Mint. Lime. Take point. Caraway, take Basil and Paprika with you and  
bring up the rear." Herb's clear voice called out through the misting rain  
to his subjects, inspiring them into action. Mint and Lime, Herb's most  
trusted companions immediately began a silent dash into the trees that  
surrounded their make shift staging area. The monarch in exile gathered the  
magical treasures of his people and followed them. Behind him straggled the  
two thousand-some-odd refugees of the fallen Musk Dynasty.
>> 
>> Warriors, men that had been boys the day before, made up the majority of the  
force; well over four fifths to be exact. They ranged in age from eight to  
nineteen, with a few older veterans. The rest constituted a melting pot of  
goods makers and farmers, along with their women. Most of the children and  
elders had been slaughtered in the flight. To Herb, the worst sound in the  
world was a mother crying for her dead children.
>> 
>> His small empire had consisted of, well over, nine thousand souls. All were  
dead now, save for this sorry force.
>> 
>> The realization of just how easily and how quickly, they had been overrun  
sickened Herb. He felt the great loss of his people, and the dishonor of  
that loss weighed heavily on the boy-king's shoulders.
>> 
>> Their flight had been a nightmare, as the enemy descended on Herb's palace  
in force. His entire guard, save for Lime and Mint had sacrificed  
themselves for the sake of the few refugees that had made it to Herb in  
time. Unfortunately, the people had made it to their new monarch, but the  
safety that they expected to find was not to be had. The enemy walked  
through the walls as if they weren't there, and chaos ensued. There was  
death at every angle, and at the head of it all was a man.
>> 
>> The mighty Herb, faced with the imminent destruction of his people, had  
called upon his heritage and destroyed a hefty amount of the castle's  
foundation to create an escape route large enough for what remained of his  
subjects. He had quickly led their flight, out of his beloved homeland, and  
into the stark wilderness. They had walked all night, and lost more of  
their number to the beasts that harrowed their escape.
>> 
>> Herb knew of only one place that they might be safe, but it came with a  
great cost. Yet, as the young ruler looked out over his people, it wasn't  
hard to swallow his pride. And if he could do it, so could his subjects.
>> 
>> He didn't want to think about the internal strife that his decision was  
going to create. Herb simply hoped that his subjects would look beyond the  
past and see that they had only one chance to survive the week. He didn't  
relish the thought of working with the Amazons, but Mount Phoenix was too  
far away and the Heshupet had long since closed their borders. They needed  
allies, and that meant dealing with their old enemy.
>> 
>> It was with a sober heart that he pushed through the wet under growth. In  
his mourning, he felt the rain thoroughly appropriate weather for the  
occasion.
>> 
>> A young boy fell, exhausted, to the muddy path behind him, causing Herb to  
turn with his burden and investigate. Little Pepper had fallen asleep as he  
had walked, and now lay, insensate on the muddy trail. Herb didn't  
hesitate; he simply knelt and lifted the boy into his arms.
>> 
>> Pepper had turned eight, the day before yesterday, and had been presented  
before his king for admittance into the warrior's school. Herb had looked  
fondly at the fiery determination in the boy's eyes and had given his royal  
blessing.
>> 
>> When the evacuation began Pepper had attached himself to his liege's side  
and would not budge. Lime had tried to return him to the other children,  
but got stuck with the boy's little knife for his troubles. Herb had asked  
him what he was doing, and received a proud, "Protecting my King!" as the  
boy's response. Herb had smiled grimly and acquiesced to Pepper's  
unsolicited offer.
>> 
>> Now that he held the dark-haired boy, he silently wondered what madness had  
overcome him. The white highlights in Pepper's hair had come from his  
mother, whose exotic black and white feathers had captivated the boy's  
father. After bathing the beautiful bird in the Spring of Drowned Girl,  
Pepper's father had married his bride, and three years later, Pepper had  
come. Herb had made it a point to learn the story of as many refugees as  
possible. The more faces that he knew, the harder he could fight. They  
were his family, and a man would fight death itself to protect his family.
>> 
>> So why did he insist on bringing a child to the very heart of danger? Herb'  
s father had taught him that any battle could be won by crushing the  
opposition's leadership. "A snake without its head," he had said, "...will  
flail about mindlessly. It is dead, but refuses to act like it."
>> 
>> His father's palace had been among the first to fall.
>> 
>> The displaced monarch shook his wet head. By bringing Pepper to the  
forefront, he had given himself another reminder. A reminder that he wasn't  
dead, and neither were his people. Pepper was a living reminder of what he  
was fighting for.
>> 
>> Yes, the boy would be in danger of attack, but Herb would make sure that all  
those who dared threaten the boy, would die before Pepper came to harm. The  
resolve in his face matched the burning fire in his heart. He would overcome this  
enemy like he did those that had reared up before him in the past.  
  
Swiftly, efficiently, and without mercy.
>> 
>> The dark mists closed around Herb and swallowed him and his people, in a  
chilling sense of foreboding. It was as if history was trying to claim an  
empire that was dead, but refused to acknowledge its fate.
>> 
>> ********  
Somewhere
>> 
>> Nabiki groaned and propped herself up on her elbows. Her mouth felt  
cottony, and her muscles ached; it felt that she had slept on the floor for  
a week. Someone had been nice enough to supply her with a pillow roll and a  
blanket, but not much else in the way of company or comfort.
>> 
>> Darkness surrounded her, rendering her large brown eyes useless. She had no  
idea where she was, but did her best not to panic, in spite of how unnerved  
she felt. What would panic bring her? A knot in her stomach and a  
headache, both of which she didn't need at the moment. What she did need was  
information. Knowledge was power, and any power that she could have over  
her captors was a good thing.
>> 
>> Her mind immediately began to catalogue everything: sensations, smells,  
textures, and sounds. The last thing that she remembered was falling into  
Yoshitsune's arms, but everything after was a blank.
>> 
>> Typical.
>> 
>> On a positive note, she didn't feel sore in any of the suspect places, which  
meant that tall-dark-and-handsome hadn't taken liberties. She hadn't  
expected him to; one of the others perhaps, but not him. He had felt safe.
>> 
>> It was an odd thing to say about someone that had kidnapped her, but it was  
the truth.
>> 
>> The darkness that surrounded her couldn't keep the damp air at bay, and when  
Nabiki ran her hand through her short brown hair, it came back wet. She was  
amazed at how comfortable the environment felt; she was neither cold nor  
terribly hot, the temperature was just right. A drip echoed loudly  
throughout the obscurity surrounding her, giving a very subterranean feel to  
the space. Still, the room, if she could call it that, was relaxing. She  
couldn't help but feel a little spooked by the whole ordeal, but for the  
most part, she felt.warm and secure. Which was a pleasant change from the  
tense, cold night air that she had been walking in when this adventure  
began.
>> 
>> Spring had been late in coming this year, and the mild, humid warmth was  
just what the doctor ordered for frayed nerves. It didn't fully appease  
Nabiki. She was still in an unknown place, and for all that she knew, she  
was still in danger.
>> 
>> What a time for some deranged martial artists to come calling! Ranma was  
gone and there was no way that he could rescue her. It figured.
>> 
>> She should have seen this whole thing coming.
>> 
>> Well, there was no use in crying over spilt milk. She needed to try and  
gather as much information about her environment as possible before bumbling  
about. Maybe it would give her a better understanding of her captors as  
well. She closed her eyes in order to organize the information that her  
perceptions were feeding her.
>> 
>> First she needed to know if she was truly alone.
>> 
>> "Hey! Is any one here?" Her voice echoed loudly around her, and was soon  
followed by the sound of leaves rustling above her head. An abrupt feeling  
of wrongness filled her...as if she had disrupted something sacred. She  
imagined that yelling and screaming while visiting a temple, or a cathedral  
would have produced the same effect. This quiet, dark place was special,  
and she had disturbed the peace here.
>> 
>> Nabiki silenced herself and waited for the inevitable reprimand, but it  
never came. She quieted her mind and tried to reclaim the peace of her  
surroundings. The place didn't smell like the dampness of a cave; rather,  
it had a tangy pine scent. She could easily imagine herself surrounded by  
tall fir trees in spite of the dampness. She stretched out her fingers to  
gain a more tactile picture of the floor.
>> 
>> She had expected to be greeted by a cool stone surface, instead the texture  
beyond the softness of her blankets reminded her more of wood than anything  
else. It was warm and hard beneath her fingers and felt very smooth, but it  
lacked the unforgiving, lifeless nature of stone. She couldn't really  
explain the difference, but she knew that it existed.
>> 
>> She strained her hearing to try and filter the surrounding sounds. There was  
nothing for a long period of time, save for the hushed reverence of the  
dripping water. She relaxed herself fully, focusing on her breathing and  
then moving outward, passed the dripping water and into.something more. She  
heard air flowing, wind-like somewhere to her left. It was very faint, but  
there. She focused on the wind, moving with its passage. Over and through  
an invisible landscape she flowed, dancing on wings that she knew she did  
not possess. Time seemed to fall away beneath her as she merged with the  
wind, becoming the zephyr rather than a companion to it.
>> 
>> That's when she heard the voice.
>> 
>> It was feminine and breathtakingly beautiful, humming in time with the  
breeze. No, that wasn't right; it wasn't in time with the breeze. It was  
the breeze. The single voice echoed, becoming two. The two grew to become  
a quartet, and then again to become an octet. Each voice became distinctly  
unique, yet combined added a resounding whale-like quality to the whole  
chorus. The wind was gone and she found herself beneath the sea, swimming  
amidst the sounds of the voices.
>> 
>> Happiness pervaded her, followed by wariness and suspicion in turn. More  
emotions rose and fell in the blackness, and she rode them as if they were  
the swelling and ebbing tide of the sea. She added her own voice to theirs,  
joining the chorus that enveloped her.
>> 
>> How could she deny it? The invitation was too compelling.
>> 
>> Her alto mixed with someone's bass, intertwining and frolicking in an  
elegant display. A rich baritone joined and the bass muted itself, melding  
into the background while the baritone caressed her softly. Her voice moved  
in perfect symmetry with the baritone, filling the gaps where it would start  
to falter. It was the most beautiful experience that she had ever had the  
privilege of experiencing.
>> 
>> She thought she heard voices in the music; they were concerned and filled  
with fear. But somewhere far away another baritone quietly sang. Separate,  
yet unified. This voice was a beacon for the rest, giving them hope and  
strength in amidst the darkness. Her voice rose to that hope, magnifying  
it. Other voices merged, until thousands sang out the crescendo in a  
majestic chorus. The bass thrummed in her heart, the baritones held her up  
and she bound them together.
>> 
>> The chorus softened and the bass quieted until the only voices left were the  
distant baritone and hers. The distant voice quieted, allowing the sounds  
of the sea to swallow it and comfort her. The love that she felt was as  
deep as the ocean and growing deeper. It succored her and drew her in.
>> 
>> She didn't ever want to leave.
>> 
>> Return to us, Nabiki. The voice was light. Not in terms of weight, but  
in terms of energy. It was bright, but not blinding. It was warm and  
inviting too, but not as comforting as the love she felt. Please Nabiki.  
We need you. Return to us.
>> 
>> Perhaps it was the desperation in the voice that made her turn away from the  
love, perhaps it was her own fear. Whichever it was, Nabiki's heart ached  
because of it. She moved with the voice, away from the unconditional love,  
back toward the other voices.
>> 
>> Amazing.
>> 
>> Nabiki was overwhelmed by the emotions in the voices. Wonder, disbelief,  
snide criticism, exasperation, pride, concern, and a spark of love flowed  
around her. Her brain felt like fried oatmeal, which made just about  
everything fuzzy, but the voices in her were crystal clear.
>> 
>> I can't believe that a human could -
>> 
>> You never were very imaginative in the first place!
>> 
>> Why you!
>> 
>> I knew she could do it all along.
>> 
>> Yeah right! And I'm Kotei Shiroi!
>> 
>> Baka! She was only reborn human in this life! She's still the Huntress,  
no matter what her body looks like!
>> 
>> I say you're both full of it!
>> 
>> Who asked you? Stupid jerk! You're always butting in where you're not  
wanted!
>> 
>> And you're a whiny little brat Tsubame! There's no way that she's the  
Huntress! Look at how skinny she is!
>> 
>> Tsuru you're a prig! Mother says she's the Huntress! What more do you  
want?
>> 
>> Enough children. She is among us.
>> 
>> The voices in general felt old, very old. But the last voice could only be  
termed as ancient, and for some odd reason it reminded Nabiki of her  
grandmother. She couldn't really follow what they were saying, but knew  
that they were talking about her.
>> 
>> There was a moment of shocked discomfort from all around her as the entities  
scrambled for their dignity. Nabiki couldn't suppress the girlish giggle  
that escaped her throat. The feelings of humiliation grew, and an  
underlying sense of agitation accompanied them.
>> 
>> Welcome, Nabiki Tendo. The ancient voice said formally.
>> 
>> Thank you. She responded mentally. It seemed like the appropriate  
response to make.
>> 
>> Very good. I see that you have gained some control over your thoughts.  
The voice appeared to grin with amusement in the confines of her mind. The  
others were having a great deal of fun at your expense I'm afraid.
>> 
>> Yeah! You made poor Yoshitsune blush! Nabiki recognized the voice as the  
chubby man from the kidnapping.
>> 
>> Not surprising really. Especially after the love tap that she gave him  
last night! That one was the girl.the one that they called Hato. There  
were sounds of laughter in her mind, situated somewhere to her left; while  
on her right, she only catalogued embarrassment and frustration.
>> 
>> You might want to be more careful next time Tendo-san, especially  
considering some of the dreams you were having. The fat one's voice seemed  
to grin suggestively in her mind's eye. Broken goods don't perform very  
well. There were more snickers, and then something flared with rage  
nearby.
>> 
>> Shut up, you! The sexy baritone voice filled her thoughts again as it  
roared implications and threats of bodily harm at the fat one. Her mind  
began to wander again, remembering what it had felt like to have Yoshitsune'  
s arms around her.
>> 
>> Woo whee! There she goes again! Yoshitsune, I think she likes you!
>> 
>> Nabiki blushed and tried to focus her thoughts on something very mundane.  
Unfortunately, a picture of the young man from the night before popped into  
her mind, complete with him serving her strawberries. The fact that he was  
dressed in tight black pants, a little bow tie, and little else made her  
bite her bottom lip.
>> 
>> Where the hell did that come from?
>> 
>> Yoshitsune squeaked.
>> 
>> Looks like she's got you all dressed and ready to go little man! More  
laughter followed the cackling mental voice.
>> 
>> Aaaarrrgh! I said SHUT UP! You loony old bird! Nabiki winced and  
clutched her head at the volume of Yoshitsune's mental cry.
>> 
>> "Whap!" The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed in her ears, alerting her  
to the beings' presence near her. She wasn't alone! Her eyes immediately  
opened again and she found her body surrounded by a curtain of light.
>> 
>> The light had no outside source, nor was it blinding as one might expect.  
It just was. It had enough power to illuminate her immediate surroundings  
though. She at once found that her blind guesses were correct.
>> 
>> The floor was wood, a large tree trunk to be precise. It was the size of a  
mature redwood in diameter and polished smooth until it resembled a rich,  
wooden, marble floor. There was a small pool of water not far behind her  
that she assumed was the source of the dripping water earlier. Next to the  
pool was a tray of food that made her mouth water; but she reminded herself  
that it might not be as wholesome as it seemed.
>> 
>> Best to wait a little longer, and learn a little more before taking any  
unnecessary risks. Nabiki continued to scan her surroundings, hoping to  
find a weakness that she could exploit.
>> 
>> She was surrounded on all sides by tall conifers that towered over the  
twenty-foot curtain of light like some sort of jury. It made her a little  
nervous to be beneath their combined gaze. Beyond their canopy she could see  
a bright expanse of blue sky, taunting her with the promise of freedom.
>> 
>> "Who are you? What do you want with me?" She inquired. The sound of her  
voice echoed loudly back at her. Again, she felt as if she had violated  
some profound tranquility, but this time she cared little for the primal  
sacredness. All she wanted were answers.
>> 
>> Now look what you made me do stupid! She's talking again! Yoshitsune  
said angrily from somewhere off to her right.
>> 
>> Yoshitsune, Washi! The ancient voice scolded from up above Nabiki. Behave  
yourselves!
>> 
>> Yes, Mother. Both voices cowed at the disapproval in Mother's voice.
>> 
>> Now then, Nabiki-chan. Mother began affectionately. If you could please  
refrain from speaking here, it really would be for the best. The other  
trees like to be able to hear the Worldsong without any interruptions.  
Mother's mental voice dropped to a whisper. They can get awful cranky you  
know.
>> 
>> The trees above Nabiki seemed to bristle and squirm indignantly.
>> 
>> "Um." She began, but quickly switched to thinking again. Is this better?
>> 
>> Much. Thank you. Nabiki couldn't help but smile at the pleasure in Mother  
's tone. Now then, how do you feel? It was a rhetorical question; Mother  
knew exactly how Nabiki was feeling. But Nabiki didn't need to know that.
>> 
>> A little disoriented. she said honestly.
>> 
>> Only a little? The mirth and incredulity in Mother's voice made Nabiki  
smile again. She felt like a young girl, being fussed over by her  
grandmother.
>> 
>> Well, okay, more than a little. she admitted. It was obvious that the  
ancient voice was staring right through her soul in that moment. Nabiki  
could feel her weighing and gauging everything that the young woman had ever  
done. It made Soun Tendo's daughter feel very self-conscious.
>> 
>> It is to be expected. The ancient voice said.
>> 
>> Nabiki wasn't sure what Mother meant by that statement, but she was sure  
that she didn't like being so exposed. All of her mistakes, all of her sins  
were open for perusal by the ancient voice. She felt violated in a way,  
waiting to hear the ancient voice call down the wrath of Heaven and judge  
her.
>> 
>> Judgement never came.
>> 
>> Relax child. Mother urged. Nabiki was almost certain that she was  
looking for something specific.
>> 
>> Why am I here? What do you want with me? She repeated her earlier  
questions again, this time more forcefully, while trying to push Mother out  
of her mind. It didn't work, so Nabiki tried again.and again.and again. At  
first Mother seemed to think of it as a game, which aggravated Nabiki. The  
game became a competition that steadily escalated into something more  
serious. Nabiki tapped into the well of her soul and lashed out at Mother  
with everything she had.
>> 
>> GET OUT! A collective gasp rang through Nabiki's mind, and the trees  
above her rustled disapprovingly.
>> 
>> A sharp pain lanced through Nabiki's brain, causing her to fall to her  
knees. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, when Yoshitsune's voice cut  
through the haze. She could tell that she wasn't the only one that had  
experienced the pain. Above her the trees groaned and rustled mournfully in  
a solemn wind.
>> 
>> Mother!
>> 
>> I am fine Yoshitsune. The voice was soft, and breathless, but not weak.  
Nabiki is just stretching her muscles a bit.
>> 
>> "Like Hell I am!" Nabiki shouted. The grove's peace was shattered, and  
Nabiki knew that she had overstepped her bounds.
>> 
>> SHE HAS FORGOTTEN TOO MUCH MOTHER!
>> 
>> DISCIPLINE HER.
>> 
>> REMIND HER OF HER PACT!
>> 
>> Nabiki looked up, into the canopy of the trees and saw the great pines  
bending over her. On the face of their trunks, the bark ran like water  
creating stern, disapproving faces. Their branches rustled threateningly,  
but the images projected in her mind were more embarrassing than  
frightening. Who would have thought that a tree would want to spank a human  
as a punishment?
>> 
>> Be at peace. All of you. Mother's voice cut through the grove, silencing  
everyone and drawing attention back to her. The trees looked away from  
Nabiki, craning their trunks as they looked upward. Nabiki spun around and  
followed their gaze.
>> 
>> She had seen pictures of redwoods before, and was humbled by their majesty.  
She had visited a shrine in the country that had been built at the base of a  
giant Chamfer tree, and felt peace. But in all of her studies, and in all  
of her experience, she had never seen a tree quite like the one that loomed  
above her. It was easily two hundred stories tall, with a trunk that could  
have been made from at least twelve of the redwood stumps that she found  
herself standing on.
>> 
>> "Mother." Nabiki's whispered voice was barely heard on the wind.
>> 
>> I must apologize to you Nabiki. Mother's voice was soothing and  
apologetic. Believe it or not, but there was a time when you shared unity  
with me willingly.
>> 
>> "What do you mean?" Nabiki was still upset, but Mother's towering presence  
dulled the edge of her bite.
>> 
>> Please Nabiki. We must respect the others.
>> 
>> The Tendo girl coughed and shuffled nervously as the other trees stared down  
at her. She repressed a shudder and took a deep breath.
>> 
>> Fine. Satisfied?
>> 
>> Infinitely. Mother's voice seemed to smile crookedly at the young woman,  
making Nabiki fidget; but she didn't back down.
>> 
>> Kid's got guts Yoshi-kun. You sure you're not interested?
>> 
>> Nabiki ignored the sounds of violence that slowly drifted away from the  
grove; instead, she focused her attention on the great tree above her.
>> 
>> I want answers.
>> 
>> Mother's crooked smile became real, as a face appeared on the trunk of the  
colossal tree.
>> 
>> Are you willing to pay for it?
>> 
>> A long line of curses landed on the tip of Nabiki's tongue, threatening to  
spill forth at any moment. She hated playing games with people; she was too  
used to being on the other end of the stick.
>> 
>> Look, you're the one that dragged me here; against my will I might add. As  
far as I see it, you owe me an explanation.
>> 
>> Fair enough.
>> 
>> The curtain of light surrounding Nabiki flared to life. Sights and sounds  
exploded on all side, and a multitude of images seemingly began to rewind.
>> 
>> Behold the flow of time, from the perspective of my children. A very long  
time ago, there existed a majestic kingdom. And the capital of this kingdom  
resided on Terra's Moon.
>> 
>> Nabiki's eyes bulged in wonder as Mother unfolded the founding of the Moon  
Kingdom. The walls of light danced with imagery, as she watched the  
progress of history. Her heart swelled at the beauty and mystery that  
thrived during the Moon Kingdom's peaceful reign, and she wept bitter tears  
as she watched its fall. The telling of the story took quite some time, and  
by the time Mother finished, Nabiki was thoroughly drained.
>> 
>> You wanted to know why I brought you here Nabiki? Mother's voice was  
quiet again, and Nabiki was filled with a sense of love that she had never  
before felt. Is it such an odd thing for a mother to want to see her  
daughter again?
>> 
>> There was no escaping the truth of Mother's words. Something clicked inside  
of Nabiki and a door swung open, and a flood of memories spilled forth. Her  
eyes grew wide as her heart and mind relived a forgotten life.
>> 
>> ********  
The Joketsuzoku village
>> 
>> It was a rare day indeed that Cologne was anxious. Three hundred years of  
experience had taught her the secrets of patience. But the sight across the  
field unnerved her to the core. The mighty Herb, Prince of the Musk  
Dynasty, stood before her with the rag-tag remnants of his nation  
surrounding him.
>> 
>> She was amazed at how few Herb's band contained.
>> 
>> Herb had once told her that the Musk were dead. She had known his words to be  
lies, but she understood why he had chosen to decieve her. Two hudred years of  
peace and mutual seclusion had protected both of their peoples. It was easier to  
pretend that someone wasn't there, than risk an all out war that neither side could  
ever hope to win. So she accepted the lie, despite the fact that both she and the  
Prince knew the truth.
>> 
>> And now this....
>> 
>> Her runners had come early that morning, bearing the news that the Musk had  
come to war against the Amazons. Cologne thought this highly unlikely, and  
said as much openly. When an emissary from the Musk approached under a  
white flag, alarms went off in the old woman's mind. But, not for the same  
reasons her sisters were entertaining. It was true that there was enough  
bad blood remaining between her people and the Musk that the offer was met  
with open skepticism, but Cologne had studied the man carefully.
>> 
>> The fear and pain in his eyes had left her little doubt that something  
horrific had befallen the boy. He seemed unnaturally skittish, and did not  
hide his fear of shadows. In fact, he stood openly before the Council of  
Matriarchs and demanded that they deal with him under the light of the  
morning sun. Cologne heard someone mutter something about bedtime stories  
told about the Amazons. The jest had been met with open laughter, but the  
boy stood his ground.
>> 
>> He didn't fear the Amazons; respected them perhaps, but the steel in his  
stance told the wizened Cologne that he did not fear them. This brought the  
question of what the boy did fear to the fore. When questioned, the boy  
simply answered that his king would parley if, and only if he was guaranteed  
safe passage to meet with the Council of Matriarchs. Cologne didn't have to  
brow beat any of her sisters on the council. Their curiosity was just as  
piqued as hers, and so the meeting was set. Bringing them to this place and  
time.
>> 
>> She had dealt with Herb before and knew him to be a strong leader. Cologne  
could not deny the offered truce between the two nations lightly, and  
neither could her sisters. Many of the families had started to murmur about  
the Beastmen soiling their land, but it would take more than a few  
slanderous insults to provoke a conflict under these circumstances.
>> 
>> And so it was with a great deal of trepidation that the two groups agreed to  
meet. The small field was large enough to discourage archers, but small  
enough to contain no more than a thousand warriors on each side. Considering  
what her scouts had reported, that was about all that was left of the Musk.
>> 
>> If the young man before her was bedraggled, his people were pathetic. She  
had known war in her long lifetime, but these refugees were haunted.and it  
wasn't by the actions of men. Cologne felt the pit of her stomach tighten  
as she watched Herb move ahead of his group, alone and unafraid. The terror  
that his people were demonstrating was hidden behind a stoic mask. His  
robes and armor were eternally stained with the mud of travel, and a fair  
amount of blood. The humility in his stance, combined with his war torn  
appearance distinguished him, and augmented his natural beauty. He had been  
handsome before, but now the prince was dashing. The sleeping child in his  
arms only served to heighten the look on the boy-king.
>> 
>> Herb stood before the Council of Matriarchs humbled, yet retaining his  
dignity. It was a good thing. She would want no less for such a powerful  
warrior.
>> 
>> "I bring you greetings, noble Matriarchs of Joketsuzoku." Herb called out  
across the field.
>> 
>> "May the Goddess smile upon you this day...King Herb."
>> 
>> Herb shook his head and handed the boy off to the giant in tiger skins,  
before continuing. "I am King Herb no longer, Matriarch. My father has  
fallen, and I have assumed what is left of his throne. The title of Emperor  
is now mine.for all that it is worth. I come here to you this day to bring  
the Amazon nation a dire warning."
>> 
>> "Oh?" Cologne asked in polite surprise despite the growling murmur that  
rippled through the Amazons behind her. Couldn't they see that this man was  
of no threat to them? "What could be so dire that it would bring the new  
Emperor of the Musk and a host of his finest, to the Joketzuzoku?"
>> 
>> Herb grimaced at the barbed comment, but understood this political game that  
they played. Cologne couldn't support him out right; she had to make at  
least a few attempts to appease the warmongers amongst her people. A few  
barbed insults was better than being slaughtered by the women before him, or  
the beasts that followed him. He could stand to take a few insults if it  
gave him what he wanted.
>> 
>> Herb crooked his finger to one of his subordinates, a man in a leather and  
silk shirt that was decorated with eagle feathers. His noble face was stoic,  
showing little emotion as he dragged the large bundle wrapped in tent  
canvas before her. He sketched a bow and returned to his post behind his  
lord.
>> 
>> Herb motioned disgustedly at the bundle.
>> 
>> "That, venerable Matriarch." He spat the words in his anger and  
frustration. The stench coming from the canvas was over powering. It  
smelled like week old carrion that had fermented in a hot, summer sun.  
"That is what brings me to your doorstep, a vagabond, bereft of my home and  
kin. My nation is lost to me due in totality to...that!"
>> 
>> With great care, Cologne flipped her staff forward to unravel the bundle.  
Her escorts watched warily for any treachery. The canvas unraveled, rapidly  
depositing its putrid cargo between the Amazons and the Musk.
>> 
>> The Matriarch had thought herself above a great many things; shock and a  
weak stomach were among the long list. Unfortunately for her, the sight at  
her feet defeated that notion, forcing her breakfast to expel itself  
violently.
>> 
>> She wasn't alone.
>> 
>> The body before her would never be mistaken for human. Black, oozing flesh  
covered the tiger's head in a grotesque, mottled patchwork. It wasn't the  
sight of the thing that upset her so, but rather the stench of evil that  
hung about its putrid form.
>> 
>> The long deadly claws extended from the tips of massive human-like paws. And  
there was a cold sanity in the lifeless eyes that bore a cunning intelligence. But,  
that was where the resemblance to any living creature ended. The rest was too  
horrifying to comprehend, and her mind did its best to shut the sight out.
>> 
>> *Its smell alone could probably kill.* Cologne thought distastefully as she  
wiped the spittle from the corners of her mouth.
>> 
>> Herb didn't react to the beast at all. His calm, clear gaze focused on  
Cologne, boring into her. She returned it intently. When Herb spoke again,  
Cologne could hear the emotion that threatened to surface.
>> 
>> "It alone killed over one hundred and fifty of my men and women last night  
as we marched. Twenty-five children met their doom in the jaws of  
this...Thing."
>> 
>> He shook with barely restrained anger, and all gathered watched as his  
battle aura flared brilliantly. Cologne was impressed at the corona that  
the boy was producing. He had been practicing. "It took fifty of the  
finest warriors to bring the demon down!" Herb released the energy that he  
had built, into the corpse setting it aflame, but not destroying it  
completely.
>> 
>> The concussive blast knocked two of the stunned Matriarchs off their feet,  
which caused a wave of commotion to surge through the Amazons that were  
behind her, many of which included women from the Elder's council who knew  
better. The Musk, already spooked and tired began drawing their weapons  
too.
>> 
>> This was no good. Herb had done them a favor; a self-serving favor, but one  
that might have very well saved the Amazons. She was not about to let this  
shaky alliance fall apart around their ears, just because two of her sisters  
were too clumsy to stand upright. She tapped her staff once on the ground,  
creating a great reverberating sound to echo across the field. The action  
got the desired results, silencing the gathered throng so that Cologne could  
speak.
>> 
>> "I am Khu Lon, Matriarch of the Elder's Council. I speak on behalf of my  
nation. I set aside the old haunts, in light of the new. We offer you the  
hospitality of our homes young Emperor, and would share our salt with you  
and yours. Be welcome as friends." There was a collective gasp from the  
Amazon camp, followed by murmuring. Yet, Cologne's authority washed over  
all present, and she hoped that what she did next would minimize the amount  
of bloodshed that was inevitable.
>> 
>> "It is my decree that there shall be no battle fought during the time our  
guests reside in our nation. Any challenges issued, save they be formal  
challenges of marriage, may not be answered until the Musk leave our  
borders." She paused dramatically and turned to her sisters who nodded  
their consent. What choice did they have? "Any disobedience to this edict  
will be severely punished. No excuses will be heard or tolerated."
>> 
>> Herb nodded and repeated her edict for the benefit of his people. A peace  
of necessity had been hammered out here, and he would be damned if he let  
heated tempers jeopardize it.
>> 
>> Runners from both nations sped off to spread the word to those that could  
not attend the summit. Herb smiled at Cologne faintly. It wasn't much, but  
in light of what they were facing, it was a definite beginning.
>> 
>> Cologne could already hear the whispers starting to circulate about having  
to house the filthy Musk, and she wondered how long she could keep the  
tribal politics at bay. In light of what they faced, she prayed that it  
would be for a very long time.
>> 
>> The Matriarchs motioned for Herb and his councilors to approach. The story  
that he told them sent shivers down their spines and left more than a few  
wide-eyed and afraid.
>> 
>> It had been a long time since the Amazons had known fear.
>> 
>> ********  
Tuesday, late afternoon  
Saotome Dojo, Juuban
>> 
>> Boredom.
>> 
>> It was the bane of freedom, and the wicked stepmother of invention. For  
Ranma, it was a state of mind to be avoided at all costs. That was when her  
ghost came to haunt him most; even more so than at night, before he fell  
asleep.
>> 
>> The memory of holding her would cause his arms to ache, and he could almost  
smell the fruity scent of her shampoo in the air. It was then that he would  
throw himself into his training; pushing himself to newer heights in order  
to keep Akane's shade appeased. Yet, Ranma learned early on that there was  
only so much training that a man could do in a day. The mind would grow  
weary, and the limbs weak; even the spirit would falter.
>> 
>> Which was where Ranma found himself now: mentally wiped and totally unable  
to practice. It wasn't that he was physically exhausted, it had been a long time  
since he'd been able to wear himself out in the course of a day; no, the true  
problem came from burn out. How many times could he throw the same punch,  
before the exercise became meaningless?
>> 
>> He had pushed himself through the all day yesterday, and he felt reluctant  
to push himself further. Nodoka had watched him with concern, but had been  
forced to leave for work. Today she had made it a point to invite him to go  
with her, but Ranma couldn't bring himself to go with his mother to the  
orphanage. To be surrounded by so many kids.he could already see Akane in  
his mind's eye, playing with some little girl that had her smile and his  
gray eyes.
>> 
>> He had politely declined his mother's offer, which meant that he was again  
left to his devices. Nodoka had subtly hinted at him going back to school  
at breakfast, but for some reason Ranma felt reluctant to make a commitment  
either way. He wanted to take things slowly, so that he could ease into  
things, rather than be thrown head long into anything. Nodoka had to agree  
that Ranma had a valid point, especially after spending ten years on the  
road with Genma.
>> 
>> So he had spent some time after his morning work out soaking in the furo,  
and then explored the rest of the house. He had been surprised at the state  
of his room when Nodoka showed him to it the night of his arrival. It was  
tastefully decorated, with a single dresser, a bookshelf, a writing desk,  
and a western style bed like the Nabiki had in her room. There were also a  
number of traditional Ukyoe wall hangings of samurai that were pretty cool.
>> 
>> He even had a bonsai sitting atop the writing desk. Ranma had always wanted  
one, regardless of how "wussy" Genma made them out to be. It took  
discipline to shape a tree, and Ranma respected discipline.
>> 
>> He hadn't asked outright, but Nodoka had confessed to redecorating his room  
every year on his birthday. Ranma had all but cringed when she had told  
him, but she hadn't noticed. Instead, she had busied herself in turning  
down Ranma's bed and setting his backpack next to the dresser. She had been  
so nervous and excited about having her son home, that she had fluffed his  
pillow some twenty times before Ranma finally convinced her that everything  
was indeed perfect. He was glad that she seemed happy. After so long  
without anyone, she deserved all that he could give.
>> 
>> The rest of his mother's house was very much the same as his bedroom.  
Tastefully, if not traditionally decorated, but leaning towards a more  
masculine motif; no doubt to impress and please Genma when he returned.
>> 
>> During his exploration, Ranma's mind boggled at just how much his mother had  
sacrificed for her family. Her whole life seemed to revolve around two  
ghosts that she barely knew, and she did so without complaint or murmuring.  
He had never met anyone so devoted to her family.well, maybe Kasumi. But  
where Kasumi's devotion was measured in her propensity to give, Nodoka's  
dedication was measured in her lonely endurance.
>> 
>> Could Kasumi have survived as Nodoka had? Assuredly. Ranma was sure of  
that. But, what of Nabiki? Ranma was ashamed to admit that he wasn't sure.  
Before akane's passing, he would have said no, but now.Nabiki just wasn't  
the same person that she had been six months ago. Akane on the other hand  
would have poisoned herself in the first week. Ranma chuckled, but the  
sound died on his lips.
>> 
>> Akane.
>> 
>> He always came back to her, even when he was trying his best to let her  
ghost rest in peace. That was when Ranma decided that it was time to leave  
the house. Every room was starting to remind him of her, and he was  
starting to hurt.
>> 
>> Now he found himself exploring the neighborhood from the safety of the  
rooftops, mapping out the major landmarks and trying to catch the pulse of  
the Ward. The roof he had chosen to stop on over looked a street of shops  
and restaurants, with Tokyo Tower not two blocks east.
>> 
>> Maybe his mother had been right about this whole school thing. She had  
brought it up at breakfast as an option for Ranma to think about. He told  
her that he wasn't sure how long he would be staying, and immediately  
regretted it. Her carefully controlled response had been neutral, but her  
eyes held enough sadness to fill the Sea of Japan. He didn't want to be tied  
down to anyone place, but he couldn't just leave his mother. It would break  
her heart.
>> 
>> If he stayed, let alone registered for school, it gave his old man and Mr.  
Tendo the chance to find him again. They would continue pushing Nabiki down  
his throat, and making both his and her lives miserable. On the other hand,  
he knew that he needed to stay with his mom, which meant that he needed  
something to divert his attention until he could finally bury Akane.
>> 
>> Ranma stared down at the people milling below and silently wished that he  
could have had their lives: no curses, no crazed challengers, no arranged  
marriages.no dead fiancées. Just the same mundane, day-to-day grind that  
made their lives.normal. With a heavy sigh Ranma launched himself to the  
next rooftop and continued on his way.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> "So let me get this straight. Your Mom's best friend's son just returned  
from some sort of Martial Arts training thingy, that he's been on for almost  
eleven years now, and she wants you to go with her tonight to meet him?"
>> 
>> Ami looked at Usagi with amused bewilderment. How the girl could get all of  
that out in just one breath boggled the mind.
>> 
>> "Yes. Apparently he'll be staying in town for a while, and she would like  
me to show him some of the sights and introduce him to people." Ami didn't  
look at all happy about the arrangement, but how could she deny her mother?  
The woman asked for so little, and provided so much, that Ami was starting  
to feel guilty for not doing more for her mother.
>> 
>> "Is he cute?"
>> 
>> Ami snorted and tossed an incredulous look Usagi's way. "Honestly! Is that  
all that you can think about?"
>> 
>> Usagi simply smiled and shook her head. "Nope! I think about Mamo-chan,  
and food, and that really cute skirt that was in the display window two  
stores back." Usagi looked totally prepared to continue, so Ami cut her  
short.
>> 
>> "Is that so?" Ami deadpanned.
>> 
>> Usagi nodded again, while Ami shook her head.
>> 
>> "Now, don't change the subject. Is he cute?"
>> 
>> Ami sighed affectedly. "I don't know. Besides you, of all people, know that  
I don't have time for that. Exams are right around the corner, and."
>> 
>> Usagi mimicked Ami's sigh and stopped just outside an alleyway. "And you  
could ace them blindfolded! Aaaaamiiii! You need to get out more!" Ami's  
blonde friend tossed her hands in the air. "Live! Get out of these books  
and find something else to care about!"
>> 
>> "I do!" Ami said defensively, clutching her book bag close to her chest.
>> 
>> "Senshi business aside." Usagi's eyes narrowed. "What else do you have in  
your life?"
>> 
>> Ami chewed her lip self-consciously and looked at her feet. "Well, I have  
my mother."
>> 
>> "And?" Usagi's foot was tapping.
>> 
>> "And you and the others!" The girl was desperately scrambling for any  
foothold she could find. This whole conversation was beginning to sound  
like the one she'd had with her mother last night at dinner. By the way  
that Usagi shook her head, Ami knew that she had failed to find what she  
needed. She just wasn't very good at social debate, no matter how hard she  
practiced in her mirror.
>> 
>> "Come on Ami-chan! We don't count and you know it!"
>> 
>> "Uwara-kun?" She asked hopefully.
>> 
>> "When was the last time that you saw him?"
>> 
>> Ami shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Eleven months, seventeen days, four  
hours, and twenty seven minutes ago?" She paused to re-calculate her  
numbers, and nodded. Usagi landed face first on the sidewalk before her  
friend.
>> 
>> By the time that she had picked herself up off the pavement, Ami was looking  
studiously at a dress in a shop window. It was one of the most beautiful  
wedding dresses that Usagi had ever seen, and it took all of her will power  
not to get caught up into a wonderful daydream about her Mamo-chan.
>> 
>> "Nice try." She deadpanned. Ami's shoulders slumped in defeat. Usagi  
memorized the shop's name and location before dragging Ami away; she would  
have to stop by there on the way home.
>> 
>> "So answer the question already! Is he cute?"
>> 
>> "I don't know. I saw a cute picture of him once in Auntie's house, but he  
must have been six or seven at the time. He was holding this really fat cat  
and smiling." Ami left out the sugary cuteness of the picture. Ranma's  
front two teeth had been missing, and he had been wearing a dirty, torn  
shirt and shorts. The leaves in his hair had made Ranma look adorable, and  
with the story about getting his cat out of the tree, Ami believed that  
Ranma was a rather impetuous young man.
>> 
>> But people changed over time. What could you know about a person after ten  
or eleven years? She didn't remember Ranma very clearly, but from the  
stories that her mother told, they had been inseparable. Ami decided not to  
tell Usagi that little tidbit. She was likely to go on about fated romances  
and star-crossed love affairs.
>> 
>> It wasn't that she didn't sometimes dream about that type of thing. She  
did. But the whole idea was just so impractical. The last thing that she  
needed right now, was a boy interfering with her studies. She had other  
dreams that were more realistic than meeting "Prince Charming" or have a  
knight in shining armor come charging to her rescue. That only happened to  
Usagi.
>> 
>> Lucky devil.
>> 
>> **********
>> 
>> Butsukaru, Itamu, and Kinyobi were known as the "Same no Juuban" - the  
Sharks of Juuban. It was a name that they had earned at a very young age,  
and for very good reasons.
>> 
>> Butsukaru had put his fourth grade teacher in the hospital by tripping her  
"accidentally" while she descended a flight of stairs. Multiple fractures  
and a serious concision had resulted in the fall, all because she wouldn't  
let him play with a certain toy.
>> 
>> Itamu had a fetish for sharp pointy objects, and would be endlessly  
sharpening his pencils. It was an obsession, and every ten minutes without  
fail he would stand before the pencil sharpener, grinding away wood and  
graphite until the point could draw blood with a just a prick.
>> 
>> An impatient young girl named Mae had cut in front of him one day. She had  
paid for her intrusion by having her hand pinned to the wall with her own  
sharpened pencil.
>> 
>> And then there was Kinyobi: a simpleton, with the sadistic love of beating  
the crap out of people. There was no other reason; he simply enjoyed the  
sound that bones made when they broke, and the color of blood on skin. When  
he was seven he beat his older brother into the ICU. There had been no  
warning, no rhyme or reason; and when confronted about the incident, the  
simply shrugged his shoulders said that he didn't know why he did it.
>> 
>> Many of the other parents wondered why the violent delinquents weren't  
expelled outright. The answer was simple: Money, could buy anything, and  
anyone.
>> 
>> And the families of the trio were wealthy enough to do just that.  
Unfortunately, by the time that the three young men were ready for high  
school, there were only two schools in all of Tokyo that didn't know about  
their reputations, or didn't care: Furinkan and Juuban. The parents knew  
the reputation of Furinkan, which made the choice obvious.
>> 
>> Lucky Juuban.
>> 
>> The motley band lounged on the steps of the local library, on the main  
thoroughfare that students used to get to and from school. It was an odd  
place for their type to be, but Butsu had a fetish for classical literature.
>> 
>> "I'm bored Butsu!" Kinyobi whined girlishly. Itamu snickered stupidly at  
the largish young man seated on the steps beneath him.
>> 
>> "Anything that doesn't involve bloodying someone bores you Kinyobi." Butsu  
replied caustically as he looked up from his book. The Nanso Satomi  
Hakkenden wasn't exactly Butsu's normal fare, but it had some interesting  
parts, none of them particularly heroic either.
>> 
>> Butsu was rooting for the villains.
>> 
>> "C'mon Butsu!" Kinyobi's voice squeaked shrilly, causing Itamu to fall over  
in hysterics. Puberty had come late to the burly thug, cursing him with a  
man's body, and all but a woman's voice. He hated it; how could anyone  
inspire terror with a girly voice like his?
>> 
>> Butsu growled in disgust. Slamming the book closed he rounded on Kinyobi  
angrily. "What do you want me to do 'Kin-chan'?" He said cruelly twisting  
the feminine honorific in his mouth. Kinyobi growled fiercely, but made no  
move against the smaller boy. The oddity of this twisted David and Goliath  
scenario made Itamu laugh all the harder.
>> 
>> Kinyobi wanted nothing more than to grind Butsu into so much paste.  
Unfortunately, the dim-witted giant knew that he would have to kill his  
opponent. If Butsu lived, Kinyobi would spend the rest of his life looking  
over his shoulder. The smaller boy may have been a weakling in body, but he  
more than made up for it in intelligence and a viciousness that scared the  
Hell out of Kinyobi.
>> 
>> Butsu stiffened noticeably for a moment and then smiled in a manner that  
would give the Devil himself pause. Kinyobi followed his gaze, watching as  
a pair of cute girls walked towards them, not a block away. A sudden smile  
graced his big face. He "nudged" Itamu roughly; the blow would leave a  
wonderfully purple bruise.
>> 
>> A blade was instantly in Itamu's hand, prepared to deal a blow in  
retribution. Butsu held up his hand and pointed, forcing the knife-wielding  
boy to follow the gesture. Both girls had paused in front of a shop, and  
Itamu was graced with a clear vision of a girl that he worshiped above all  
others.
>> 
>> Ami-chan.
>> 
>> He looked at Butsu hopefully. Kinyobi and Butsu could share the Tsukino  
girl, but Ami was special. No one would touch her but him. No one.
>> 
>> Butsu studied the feverish look in Itamu's eyes and was forced to nod his  
assent. He had known the instant he had spotted her, that this would be the  
outcome. Butsu looked longingly at Mizuno-san and sighed. Intelligent  
women were such a turn on.
>> 
>> It was too bad really; she was pretty and would have been fun to break. The  
Tsukino girl, at least that was what he thought her name was, would have to  
do. Such was the hazard when working with a rabid psychopath; a man had to  
give into their passions lest the fire that drove them consume him. Itamu  
was too valuable to Butsu's security to let something like that happen.
>> 
>> Ah well, such was the gamble of fools and mad men. At least this would get  
Kinyobi to shut up. The three boys broke away from their perch and silently  
began to stalk their prey. Their rapid pace ate up the ground, forcing men  
and women to step around them or be run down themselves.
>> 
>> Ami didn't see them coming until they were right on top of her.  

>> 
>> **********
>> 
>> End Chapter 3 Part I


	4. Progeny Chapter 3: Part II

Untitled Document

> > > Progeny  
By Jeffrey Vasquez
>>> 
>>> Disclaimer:
>>> 
>>> The characters of Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon are the express property of their  
respective creators, or whoever is currently holding their leases. I don't  
pretend to own them.
>>> 
>>> The rest belong to me.
>>> 
>>> Author's note:
>>> 
>>> This chapter was huge (a whopping 96 mb!), so I had to break it into two parts.  
I tried to get all of the formatting mistakes with this edit, but I'm sure that I've  
missed some. Outside of that I hope that you enjoy this chapter.
>>> 
>>> What has gone before:
>>> 
>>> The Musk are driven from their homeland, and Herb is forced to make a tough  
decision. In order to save the remnant of his people. He makes a pact with the  
Amazon nation, despite the bad blood that exists between the two civilizations.  
Nabiki wakes to find herself in a magical place, yet still captive to some very  
odd people. Mother, an ancient tree, reveals some interesting things about the  
past, and unlocks Nabiki's memory. It is revealed that she was the vanguard of  
the Fey, and was called the Huntress.
>>> 
>>> Ranma continues to adjust to his new surroundings, and his choices. He finds  
himself haunted by Akane's memory at every turn, so he decides to explore  
the neighborhood. In the meantime, three unruly young men take interest in  
Usagi and Ami, and attack the girls with devilish intent.
>>> 
>>> And now...On With The Show!
>>> 
>>> Chapter 3 Part II
>>> 
>>> **********  
Juuban
>>> 
>>> Ranma watched the thugs make their move and scowled. They didn't look like  
much, but he had seen one with a knife. He didn't hesitate to start making  
his way down to the street from his perch atop the library's roof.
>>> 
>>> ***********
>>> 
>>> Ami jumped in horror as she and Usagi were pushed into the narrow alley  
beside the dress shop. She tried to scream but a hand was already clasped  
over her mouth, while another pinned her arms to her sides. She didn't  
panic, at least not for herself. She was more worried about Usagi's safety  
than anything else.
>>> 
>>> She caught a glance of blonde hair struggling amidst two other bodies, but  
that was all. There was plenty of sound as both girls tried to scream and  
work their way free, but not enough of it escaped the alleyway to make a  
difference.
>>> 
>>> Ami managed to turn, and was met with a face that she had seen once or twice  
at school. Everything that she had heard about him flashed through her mind  
in an instant: the story about Umi-chan and the locker room, the rumor about  
Ms. Totetsu, and other things more frightening still. Umi-chan had  
transferred to another school, and Ms. Totetsu had up and quit one day. The  
scene that she had made when leaving was still cause for talk around the  
school, and it all revolved around the whispered rumor of a boy who liked  
sharp objects and pretty women.
>>> 
>>> Panic flooded Ami's heart as she saw the knife slide into his other hand.  
She looked into his face, frantically shaking her head.
>>> 
>>> This couldn't be happening! It couldn't!
>>> 
>>> She couldn't escape the mad lust in his eyes. It was so overwhelmingly  
hungry, and she knew that it wouldn't be satisfied until Itamu had been  
sated. Ami started to cry.
>>> 
>>> ***********
>>> 
>>> Usagi growled, kicked, bit, and punched like a pro. Butsu's lip was split  
and bleeding, and a lucky kick had brought Kinyobi to his knees for a  
moment. Usagi sneered uncharacteristically; at least the jerk had a reason  
to squeak now. Butsu punched her in the stomach, driving the air from Usagi  
's lungs and causing every limb to go suddenly lax.
>>> 
>>> "I love it when they fight back." He panted, wiping the blood from his  
mouth. "It makes the whole thing so much more.delectable."
>>> 
>>> Kinyobi groaned and tried to steady himself. He was going to break every  
bone in her body after he took her...every last one!  
  
*********
>>> 
>>> Mamoru studied the latest batch of data from his team's genetics project.  
The crunch of finals hung over everyone's, and it was Mamoru's job as the  
team's director to make sure that everyone passed. There was only one  
variable missing, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe he  
could get Ami's help with it.
>>> 
>>> He sighed and slipped his palm pilot back into his jacket pocket. He had at  
least three more stops before her stop. Three more stops of sleep..
>>> 
>>> Usagi's terror washed over him like a wave of icy water.
>>> 
>>> This wasn't like the times that she had battled youma or anything else for  
that matter. It was a fear filled with shame. He didn't think about what  
he was doing. All that mattered at the moment was Usagi.
>>> 
>>> Imagine the surprise of everyone in his car of the train when the young man  
began to glow with a bright golden light. When he vanished without a trace,  
more than a few people wondered if they had imagined it. The rest chalked  
it up to lack of sleep and passing through Juuban.
>>> 
>>> **********
>>> 
>>> Ami was having a hard time breathing, and her fear robbed her of her  
strength. She thrashed as best she could, trying to make as much noise as  
possible to no effect. She could feel her lungs starting to burn with the  
need for air.
>>> 
>>> What was she going to tell her mother? What would she tell the others?  
Usagi was on the ground now, and from the look of things, was pinned. What  
was she going to do?
>>> 
>>> The air around her started to freeze and the moisture that clung to the  
walls was rapidly turning to ice. The sign of Mercury began to glow beneath  
her bangs, when a powerful hand shot out and closed around Itamu's throat.
>>> 
>>> It was the other boy's turn to look surprised as he struggled for air.
>>> 
>>> Ami looked up into a cold, hard, yet very handsome face as Itamu's hand fell  
away from her throat. She had seen that face not two days before, and (as  
hard as it was to admit) in her dreams as well. She gasped and panted,  
trying to regain her breath, as the boy's eyes looked her over critically.  
He steadied her with a strong, calloused hand, and she couldn't help but  
lean into him for support and comfort.
>>> 
>>> "...please...help Usagi."
>>> 
>>> The young man complied with her request by throwing Itamu, one handed, the  
length of the narrow alley into his oblivious partners.
>>> 
>>> ***********
>>> 
>>> Butsu had almost pinned Usagi's legs when a heavy weight bowled him over,  
causing him to crash into Kinyobi. There was a moment of pain, then  
everything settled, and Butsu was at the bottom of a pile of heavy bodies.  
Then the pain returned.
>>> 
>>> "Get the Hell off of me!"
>>> 
>>> Scrambling. More pain.
>>> 
>>> The leader of the Sharks finally freed himself and viciously punched Kinyobi  
in the kidneys. The taller boy grunted, but otherwise showed no signs of  
noticing. He and Itamu were too busy looking at the young man in a Chinese  
outfit.
>>> 
>>> "Well? Don't just stand there! Kill him!"
>>> 
>>> Butsu realized his mistake too late as the young man walking towards them  
started glowing.
>>> 
>>> ********
>>> 
>>> Ranma felt like he was going crazy. Looking upon the young woman before  
him, he was sure that she was the same girl from the train station. If she  
wasn't, then he knew that he was going crazy.
>>> 
>>> He put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from falling over, when she leaned  
into him. Tingles danced up and down his spine at the action. It was  
almost like having Akane back. Almost like heaven. That was until the girl  
asked him something.something about Usagi.
>>> 
>>> Ranma looked up and saw the second girl, and did the only thing that he  
could think of. He threw the sick bastard that he was holding at the whole  
group.
>>> 
>>> It was nice to see that his aim was improving.
>>> 
>>> He was slightly disappointed at having to break away from the young woman,  
but he forcefully berated himself. She wasn't Akane. Period. When he  
finally got a good look at the blonde girl from the train station, something  
in him clicked. There was definitely something familiar about her, and he  
felt this undeniable urge to protect her. She was important.special. He  
saw her tears, and the way that she tried to straighten her skirt, and  
something in him snapped.
>>> 
>>> These guys had been trying to...tried to.!
>>> 
>>> "Well? Don't just stand there! Kill him!"
>>> 
>>> It was easy to guess what was going to happen next. The only question in  
his mind was how long he wanted to keep the bastards in the hospital for.  
Ranma felt the floodgates open, and his chi spilled forth in an angry blue  
haze. Had he been able to see himself, he might have wondered why there was  
a white glowing crescent on his forehead.
>>> 
>>> *********
>>> 
>>> Ami was astonished when the young man from the train station started  
glowing. Imagine her surprise when she and Usagi saw the blazing crescent on  
his forehead! The two huddled together, finding comfort in each other's  
presence as they watched the inevitable battle unfold.
>>> 
>>> *********
>>> 
>>> Itamu had seen the fiend holding his Ami. HIS AMI! That was all the  
motivation that he needed. He sprang forward with a caterwaul and a series  
of vicious slashes. His rage blinded him and fueled his speed, but not one  
blow got through his opponent's defenses.
>>> 
>>> He received a bone crushing kick to his ribs that sent him into the wall for  
his trouble. Kinyobi threw a punch at the man's head, only to have the runt  
catch it in mid swing.
>>> 
>>> He wouldn't let him have his Ami! He wouldn't! If Itamu couldn't have her,  
then no one could!
>>> 
>>> *********
>>> 
>>> The knife moved in slow motion for Ranma as it approached Ami's throat. To  
her credit, she didn't flinch or scream. All that she wanted to do was  
freeze a vital part of this Itamu's anatomy, before she died. In response  
to her desire the air temperature seemed to drop a few degrees.
>>> 
>>> She fixed Ranma with a worried look, hoping that he could do something.
>>> 
>>> She wasn't prepared for the fearful look that entered the other boy's eyes  
as he tracked the knife's trajectory.
>>> 
>>> **********
>>> 
>>> He wasn't going to make it in time! That was the only thought that Ranma  
had while watching the knife. Another death for his carelessness!
>>> 
>>> A red blur, followed by a loud clang, sent the knife careening away from its  
intended target. Everyone's gazes were drawn up to the man standing on the  
roof of the building, and both girls seemed to sag in relief.
>>> 
>>> If they knew the new guy, he was safe.
>>> 
>>> Ranma nodded to the man gratefully then turned his attention back to the  
task at hand. He had almost failed again. No, he had failed. If it hadn't  
been for the other guy, Akane's look alike would be dead.
>>> 
>>> Akane...dead.
>>> 
>>> The deadly look that entered Ranma's eyes was the last thing anyone was  
expecting. Anger, rage, and worry were all very acceptable reactions to the  
situation, but the murderous look that Itamu was receiving was completely  
out of the ordinary.
>>> 
>>> Itamu gulped loudly and began trembling as Ranma's body began to glow again.
>>> 
>>> "You are so screwed." His voice was little more than a whisper, but  
everyone heard it.
>>> 
>>> **********
>>> 
>>> When the boy's eyes began to glow, Butsu began to wonder if maybe he had  
made a mistake. When Itamu went after the pigtailed boy again, this time  
with a larger knife, Butsu winced. When the pigtailed boy relieved Itamu of  
his weapon and proceeded to snap the blade off with his bare hands, Butsu  
was sure that he had screwed up big time.
>>> 
>>> He had never known fear like this before, and idly wondered if perhaps this  
was what his victims felt when he stalked them. It wasn't a very pleasant  
feeling. He was certain that Kinyobi was feeling the same thing, if the  
large wet stain on the front of his pants was any indication.
>>> 
>>> Itamu...well, Itamu was getting the crap beat out of him. Butsu had never  
seen anyone get worked over like the knife-wielding miscreant. Nothing was  
broken yet, but the boy's face was one giant bruise.
>>> 
>>> A third knife appeared, and was lost just as easily. The pigtailed boy made  
sure that Itamu saw him break the blade this time. Then he proceeded to  
toss what was left of the knife into the trash; Itamu's face drained of  
color and the boy began to back away. Butsu was glad to see that his  
compatriot was starting to see their predicament for what it was.
>>> 
>>> The guy was a monster, and they were blocked in by the dead end that had  
before hand worked in their favor. Kinyobi started to scream, very much  
like a girl Butsu noted, and was immediately silenced by the pigtailed boy's  
hand over his mouth. Butsu blinked twice before he began dry washing his  
hands on his shirt. How had the guy moved so fast?  
  
The pigtailed boy smirked cruelly and wagged a finger in front of Kinyobi's  
face. Butsu watched the giant's eyes roll up into his head, and his body  
simply went slack. Itamu, after reviewing everything looked from the boy,  
to his broken knives, then back at the boy...then studied the knives for a  
long time.
>>> 
>>> Butsu moved up to Itamu's side and watched the pigtailed boy continue his  
approach. They felt themselves being backed into the alley, further from  
the safety of the street. The look in their stalker's eyes promised  
pain...lots of pain.
>>> 
>>> He was going to kill them. Butsu just knew it! They were going to die here  
in this alley and no one would know! He couldn't stay here! He had to get  
out! But where would he go? Where would he hide?
>>> 
>>> The pigtailed boy cracked his knuckles, and then made a lunge. Both Butsu  
and Itamu screamed and turned to run, only to come face to face with a very  
immobile brick wall. As the darkness claimed them, both were glad that they  
wouldn't be awake to see the end.
>>> 
>>> *********  
Somewhere
>>> 
>>> Nabiki ran through the branches of the trees, laughing at their indignation,  
and reveling in the feel of the wind playing with her hair. Somewhere  
behind her, someone was following, and cursing a blue streak at his  
inability to keep up.
>>> 
>>> "Aramas! Catch her!"
>>> 
>>> "Right!"
>>> 
>>> Nabiki smiled. The Bastian and the half-breed were outclassed, why couldn't  
they see that? All she had to do was get to Mother's trunk, and the whelp  
would be cast out of the Fey.
>>> 
>>> She launched herself at the next branch, celebrating her strength and  
agility. The fools had no business here, polluting her Mother's forest. She didn't  
care if the boy was a prince, he didn't belong among the tribes. He had never  
had been welcome among them, and by Terobus she would see that the  
arrogant bastard was thrown out on his ears!
>>> 
>>> She remembered being saddled with the screaming whelp when he was a baby,  
and she meant to pay him back for all of the grief that he had given her!
>>> 
>>> Nabiki's long, pointed ears twitched, and she turned in time to see a branch  
swinging at her from the side. How in the name of the Great Moon had he  
gotten that close, let alone set up a pitfall? The trap was easily dodged,  
but three more were tripped in the process.
>>> 
>>> Nabiki cursed and spun her short spear in a wide arc to deflect the incoming  
branches and other projectiles. She screamed in frustration as they  
continued to rain down on her, seemingly at every turn. Someone laughed  
behind her, and Nabiki found herself cursing Artemis.
>>> 
>>> The traitorous were-cat had been spending too much time with the Kenku. She  
vowed to pluck Washi's head feathers bald the next time that she saw him!  
Something blurred in front of her, forcing her to pull up short on a thick  
branch.
>>> 
>>> Nabiki gasped as a familiar young man landed before her. His wild blue-gray  
eyes smiled back at her mischievously, as he leaned casually against the  
tree in which he stood. Everything about him reeked of arrogance, so much  
so that all she wanted to do was pound his smug grin into a fine red paste.
>>> 
>>> She growled and brought her spear to bear. Aramas flipped his long, braided  
pigtail over his bare shoulder, and wagged a finger at her. There were a  
hundred different ways to circumvent her opponent, but Nabiki knew that  
going through him would be the most satisfying. Not to mention the most  
expedient.she had a timetable to consider after all.
>>> 
>>> Aramas sighed noisily, as if put off that she was going to waste his time!  
The very thought boiled her blood. She was going to wipe that smug grin off  
his face! She WAS!
>>> 
>>> Nabiki launched herself at the man before her. She had expected him to  
move, but to her surprise, he merely dodged slightly and brought her into a  
tight bear hug. She had gotten free of worse, but she found herself unable  
to move!
>>> 
>>> What have you done to me! She demanded.
>>> 
>>> In response Aramas simply kissed Nabiki's nose, and grinned. Oh! That  
infuriating grin! Again and again, with that damnable grin! She tried to  
move, but found her muscles rigid, locked in their last move.
>>> 
>>> Hato-chan. It had to have been Hato-chan. Her family specialized in  
pressure points.
>>> 
>>> Nabiki wanted to scream! The injustice of it all!
>>> 
>>> "I believe your terms were 'stripped naked and carried to my Mother's roots.'  
Am I correct?"
>>> 
>>> You wouldn't dare! Nabiki would have bit him had her mouth worked.
>>> 
>>> Don't blame me Huntress. You set the terms. I'm merely honoring your  
rules.
>>> 
>>> I hate you Aramas.
>>> 
>>> So you said yesterday...and the day before.and the day before that. Be a  
good girl now, and take your medicine. Nabiki blushed as the handsome  
young man began to undress her. She would find a way to get back at all of  
them! She would!
>>> 
>>> *********
>>> 
>>> Nabiki shook herself free of the memory, only to find herself in the middle  
of a nightmare. All about her there was death. Screams of the dying echoed  
at her back and the smell of smoke penetrated her senses. It took her  
another full moment before she realized that the destruction was being wrote  
on the giant screen of light.
>>> 
>>> A great shadowy beast leapt from the trees at a familiar figure, only to be  
consumed by what Nabiki thought to be a chi blast. The bestial hawk's head  
was sheared off of the monster's body, and fell blackened to the hard packed  
earth. Nabiki drew her attention back to the man, and was surprised to see  
two very familiar women flanking him. Cologne and Shampoo looked fierce  
next to the man, and the amount of bodies that lay at their feet was  
testament to their fighting skill.
>>> 
>>> Tsuru-kun. Mother's urgent voice slid through the chaotic battle scenes.  
Nabiki looked up at the great tree and found herself yearning to step  
forward.
>>> 
>>> Yes Mother.
>>> 
>>> Take Suzume-chan and Taka-kun with you to investigate, but do not interfere  
unless absolutely necessary. The Rhakshasa must not know that we are aware  
of them yet. Observe and report back to me swiftly. The Musk are fallen,  
but they are not lost to us. Tsuru seemed to nod in Nabiki's mind and then  
his presence along with two others was suddenly very far away.
>>> 
>>> Wh...what was that? Nabiki asked.
>>> 
>>> Something very old and very dark Nabiki-chan. Mother replied  
enigmatically.
>>> 
>>> I don't think that I understand. She had hoped for more clarity, but knew  
that getting a straight answer from the ancient tree was going to be more  
than difficult.
>>> 
>>> Nor are you meant to at this time child. You will bear the burden of  
knowledge soon enough. Be content with the questions that cost you very  
little, Small One. There was no reproach in the voice, only mature advice.  
Apparently, there were more important questions to be asked anyway.
>>> 
>>> What do you want me to do? She inquired hopefully, yet fearfully.
>>> 
>>> That, Nabiki-chan is a good question. One that will cost you very little  
in the long run. There seemed to be a mischievous smirk in the venerable  
voice, and Nabiki could readily see her own smile looking back at her in her  
mind's eye.
>>> 
>>> It was eerie.
>>> 
>>> You are my Huntress, and I need you to find a very special man for me.
>>> 
>>> Nabiki's stomach clenched in anticipation, and she knew that she wasn't  
going to like what came next. Still, it didn't sound so bad. At least she  
wouldn't have to face those creatures.right?
>>> 
>>> Okay. Who is it?
>>> 
>>> The curtain of light rippled and Nabiki gasped. The man from her memories  
surrounded her, wearing a black uniform with silvery, crescent shaped  
ornaments on his collar. She had to be dreaming! It couldn't be him!
>>> 
>>> I need you to find me a king. I need you to find Aramas Drumheller, the man  
you call Ranma Saotome.
>>> 
>>> Nabiki swallowed and nodded her consent. What else could she do?
>>> 
>>> You will need a few things to help you along the way. The wooden floor at  
her feet rippled and a familiar spear rose to the surface, along with a pair  
of ornate silver bracers. Nabiki's mind immediately began calculating their  
value, but stopped herself immediately. They were probably worth infinitely  
more than she suspected; especially where her life was concerned.
>>> 
>>> The curtain of light parted revealing Yoshitsune and Hato-chan. Washi  
lounged nearby, sporting a rather large black eye and an equally large grin.  
Hato had a carefully wrapped package in her arms, while Yoshitsune was  
strapping on a pair of Katana. Washi simply sat and picked his nose.
>>> 
>>> Be swift daughter. The world is in dire need of Drumheller's light.
>>> 
>>> Nabiki felt that she hadn't been told the whole story, but nodded anyway.  
She had too much on her plate as it was, and asking for more was just asking  
for trouble. With a sense of foreboding, she knelt and retrieved the spear  
and bracers.
>>> 
>>> Hato-chan smiled as she gestured with one hand, then Nabiki's world folded  
in on itself.
>>> 
>>> **********
>>> 
>>> Usagi was disappointed that all three of the bad guys had passed out before  
getting their due, and from the disgusted look on the pigtailed boy, he was  
feeling the same. He piled them in a heap of garbage bags and took anything  
resembling a weapon from their bodies.
>>> 
>>> The large pile that he made caused Usagi to shiver. Any one of those could  
have hurt her, had they been used. Mamoru felt her and wrapped his jacket  
around her shoulders. Neither could take their eyes off of the boy as he  
casually threw the weapons in a large trashcan near a side door. He had  
done impossible things, and Usagi hadn't forgotten the emblem that she had  
seen blazing on his forehead. It was just too much to take in all at once,  
so she leaned into Mamoru for support.
>>> 
>>> "Are you okay?" He asked in a quiet voice.
>>> 
>>> Usagi nodded absently, watching as the other boy walked near.
>>> 
>>> Ami on the other hand merited more concern. Her throat was bruised, and she  
didn't look at all too stable. She was in shock from the whole ordeal.
>>> 
>>> "Ami-chan? Are you going to be alright?" Usagi watched worriedly as her  
friend simply stared off into space.
>>> 
>>> "She's in shock." Mamoru whispered. He started to wrap an arm around Ami,  
when Usagi reached up and stopped him. His brows knit together slightly.  
This wasn't a time for jealousy! He looked down at his future bride and was  
amazed to see her staring at the pigtailed boy. He stood arm's length in  
front of Ami, staring at her face sorrowfully.
>>> 
>>> The remorse and pain that Mamoru found there hurt to look at; and he could  
tell that this young man was carrying a mountain of guilt that was slowly  
eating him alive. But what did that have to do with Ami? Did he have a  
history with her? Mamoru looked to Usagi questioningly, hoping that she  
could shed some light on the mystery.
>>> 
>>> She motioned for Mamoru to wait until this played itself out. The tension  
in the air was so thick that Usagi couldn't help but feel that something  
important was about to happen.
>>> 
>>> *********
>>> 
>>> Ami saw a vaguely man-shaped blur materialize before her through her tears,  
and blindly lashed out. She felt her fists impact, and so she added her  
feet into the equation. Each kick held power, and every strike seemed to  
find something. She wasn't sure if it was a vulnerable spot or if she was  
hitting something else. It really didn't matter. She had been hurt, and  
now it was time to hurt back.
>>> 
>>> Someone was saying something, speaking to her with a soothing voice. He  
coaxed her to let it all out, to let the fear and anger play itself out.  
Ami complied. When she was empty she looked up at the source of the voice  
and wiped away her tears.
>>> 
>>> There, before her was the young man that had come to their rescue. The  
young man from the train station.her knight in Chinese togs? The thought  
was so.off that Ami found herself giggling. The giggles became laughter,  
and then immediately moved into tears. She threw herself into his strong,  
protective arms and wept.
>>> 
>>> He let her vent, stroking her hair and murmuring soft, unintelligible words.  
It was awkward for her after a moment, to be in a complete stranger's arms  
like this; awkward, yet so very right. She felt so safe; so safe and warm.  
How could it be wrong?
>>> 
>>> She swallowed nervously and looked up at her hero's handsome face. Then she  
swallowed again. She didn't even know his name! She knew nothing about  
him, and here she was throwing herself all over him. For all that she knew  
he could be like.them. Ami reluctantly looked over at the pile of  
unconscious boys and shivered.
>>> 
>>> "You okay?" He asked uncomfortably.
>>> 
>>> Ami only nodded once before swallowing a third time. He couldn't be like  
them. His voice was soft, and his eyes were nice. Itamu's eyes weren't  
nice. Those brown eyes had been filled with lust and the promise of pain.  
This boy's eyes were the color of winter clouds; the kind that brought the  
first snows. He wouldn't hurt her. Right?
>>> 
>>> "Good." He relaxed visibly and pushed her out to arm's length again. Ami  
watched him examine her from head to toe.
>>> 
>>> What was he looking at? Ami felt her arms wrap themselves around her body  
in a self-conscious hug. Maybe he was like Itamu. Maybe he had been doing  
this just to set her at ease. She looked back at Usagi and Mamoru, begging  
for them to get her out of this situation. Mamoru, bless him, looked ready  
to pounce on the boy; but Usagi was smiling gently at Ami. It was that  
reassuring smile that seemed to make everything seem okay.
>>> 
>>> Maybe Usagi saw something in this boy that Ami didn't. Maybe she was just  
being paranoid. She sighed and looked back at the boy, letting her logic  
centers work through the problem. He looked safe, he had done everything  
right, and there was nothing about him that truly made her uncomfortable.  
Ami relaxed and simply stared at the brick wall for a time, trying to  
process everything.
>>> 
>>> The pigtailed boy's hand came up to gently touch her throat, and Ami reacted  
instinctively by grabbing his wrist. She looked up at him fearfully, and  
they locked gazes for a time.
>>> 
>>> There was such a casual strength in his arm. She remembered him throwing  
Itamu so thoughtlessly, that she knew he could easily do anything he wanted,  
anything at all. The thought was terrifying.
>>> 
>>> He could do anything, but he wasn't. He just waited and watched her.
>>> 
>>> Ami searched his eyes for anything that might have been put of place, but  
saw only deep concern in their stormy gray depths. He was only going to  
look at her bruise. She smiled weakly then nodded.
>>> 
>>> His touch was delicate, yet commanding. Fingers that had so nonchalantly  
rent a steel blade now skittered across her throat like a whispering wind.  
They were calloused from the abuse that he had put them through, soft enough  
that her skin began to heat and prickle beneath his touch. It made her  
thankful for the shadowy alley. She knew she must be as red as a tomato.
>>> 
>>> She watched every subtle motion of his face as he examined her, and finally  
focused on his mouth. His lips looked soft, and the way his intense eyes  
seemed to envelop her made her knees weak. She tottered unsteadily for a  
moment, falling forward again. Her right arm came up immediately, seeking  
to support her, and Ami found her hand directly over the boy's heart. The  
silk was supple against his sculpted chest, but that wasn't what captivated  
her.
>>> 
>>> It was his heart. It was beating so strong, so fast!
>>> 
>>> Ami looked up at the young man, and saw that his face was flushed, and that  
his breathing was shallow. And his eyes! They were filled with such a need  
for someone to love, and someone to love him in return. They were so  
lonely, that Ami immediately found herself yearning to fill the void that  
she saw there.
>>> 
>>> Her logic centers exploded, crying out in alarm at the loss of control. The  
libido became a mad cheering section.
>>> 
>>> She numbly felt his strong arms wrap around her protectively, and her head  
rested squarely over his heart. The strong, quick, beat resounded in her  
ears enchanting her. Time fell away, and a warm, comfortable, rightness  
descended on her.
>>> 
>>> Somewhere in the distance a bell chimed causing Ranma to jerk. It was  
enough to snap Ami out of her trance. She blushed and looked up at her  
knight, knowing that the dream had just come to an end.
>>> 
>>> **********
>>> 
>>> Ranma didn't understand anything that was happening. He just went with the  
flow, following his instincts until they told him differently. The bell reminded  
him that they were supposed to have guests tonight. His mom was going to  
upset if he was late.
>>> 
>>> Scratch that. He was already late.
>>> 
>>> "Crap!" He muttered under his breath. He looked at Ami, then at Mamoru.  
"I 'm late. Do you think.?" He hated to leave the girl, but he had obligations.  
This guy seemed to be her friend, and judging by his entrance, was capable  
of protecting her.
>>> 
>>> Mamoru nodded and Usagi, her eyes full of unshed tears, sniffled. Ranma  
looked at her quizzically and shook his head. He didn't understand girls at  
all. Nodding his thanks to Mamoru he turned his attention back to Ami.
>>> 
>>> "You gonna be okay?" She was blushing and looking at her feet, but she  
nodded. He wanted to be sure, after all that she had been through, she  
might still be out of it.
>>> 
>>> He tilted his head so that he could see her eyes. You could always tell if  
someone was lying or not if you looked in his or her eyes. Nabiki had  
taught him that. He smiled at the fact that her face seemed to get redder  
under his scrutiny. But she smiled all the same; a smile that was worth a  
thousand words.
>>> 
>>> It wasn't Akane's soft smile, the one that had made his guts turn into  
butterflies. It was a smile that warmed him from the inside out. Ranma  
wasn't sure what happened in that moment, but he found that the pain of  
Akane's death had lost a little bit of its sting.
>>> 
>>> *********
>>> 
>>> Ami felt some of that invisible weight that she had noted earlier, start to  
lift from the boy's shoulders; and she found herself extremely happy for  
him. He stood straight, and drew her face with him. She just couldn't take  
her eyes off of those beautiful eyes!
>>> 
>>> "Look. I'm sorry that I can't walk you home or nothin'." He started to  
fidget nervously and scratch the back of his head. "I got this thing with  
my mom.and I'm already late and all."
>>> 
>>> Ami felt embarrassed. She had made him late.
>>> 
>>> "Please. Go ahead and go we'll be fine. Mamoru-san can walk us home." She  
tried to set him at ease but saw his reluctance to leave.
>>> 
>>> "You sure?"
>>> 
>>> *No.* Ami bit her lip to keep herself from speaking, and simply nodded.  
From somewhere behind her Ami heard Usagi slap her forehead.
>>> 
>>> The boy looked skeptical, but nodded. He smiled, a gesture that Ami found  
terribly roguish, then gave them a half wave. He turned to go, and Ami lost  
herself in the graceful way that his body seemed to glide down the alley.
>>> 
>>> "Wait!" Usagi's voice tore through Ami's fuzzy bliss. "What's your name?"
>>> 
>>> The boy turned and smiled again.
>>> 
>>> "Ranma."
>>> 
>>> Ami watched in amazement as her rescuer jumped straight up, tow full stories  
to land comfortably on the roof.
>>> 
>>> "Ranma Saotome."
>>> 
>>> Then he vanished from her sight completely.
>>> 
>>> It took her a full minute to realize that she hadn't thanked him. It took  
another two for her to make the connection with his name. She blinked twice  
before turning to Usagi and Mamoru. Both were staring after Ranma, amazed  
at his casual defiance of gravity.
>>> 
>>> Usagi's gaze slowly came to rest on Ami, and twin smiles split their faces.  
Both screamed giddily at the same time and came together in a hug.
>>> 
>>> Mamoru was left to scratch his head as the two young women began a  
rapid-fire conversation that he was totally excluded from. He could make  
out the words "cute" and "Sooo romantic" every now and then, but for the  
most part, the conversation was lost on him. He escorted the girls to their  
homes, walking casually at Usagi's side. Thoughts of strange boys with  
crescent were forgotten as he picked up his earlier problem.
>>> 
>>> If he could just isolate a certain variable in the test strain, then  
everything should fall into place.
>>> 
>>> ********  
The Joketsuzoku village
>>> 
>>> Xian Pu's stony face warded off more than a few of her sisters as she  
stormed through the village square. None of them could blame her for the  
onerous task of escorting the very personification of bestiality. Had that  
been the only insult, they wouldn't have so much as blinked, after all,  
everyone was being saddled with a perversion. No, the thing that they  
pitied most of all was the fact that Xian Pu had to host this beastman, and  
the young pup that the Lord of the Musk insisted on keeping near him.
>>> 
>>> The purple haired Amazon had come to hate those stares very much over the  
last four months. She had come to hate everything about this way of life,  
and it's stagnant perfection. Xian Pu had fallen from her pinnacle and her  
honor had been tarnished, all because of a wild, weak, man.
>>> 
>>> Xian Pu had snorted at the thought of anyone calling Ranma weak. Had any of  
these petulant Xena-wannabes ever seen true battle, they would weep for  
their mothers! They trained their skills, and on occasion had been forced  
into a skirmish with the Musk that they so hated; but the majority of her  
sisters, old and young had never had to make a true sacrifice.
>>> 
>>> They had never fallen in love with a man who loved as purely as Ranma  
Saotome.
>>> 
>>> That had been the sticking point with her in the first month back amongst  
her sisters. She had been punished for not bringing Ranma into the tribe,  
despite her great-grandmother's report on the proceedings. There had been  
outright skepticism about Ranma's role in defeating Saffron, which was  
understandable. How could a mere human defeat an immortal demigod?
>>> 
>>> Had Xian Pu not seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.  
No matter how good Ranma had been. Had she not seen a mountain sundered by  
the same man, she would have even questioned her own eyes. The problem was  
that she had seen. She had seen everything: his battle, his victory, his loss, and in  
the end his consuming grief. How could she have been expected to compete with that?
>>> 
>>> The memory of a dead woman is hard enough to battle; the memory of someone's  
true love is an impossible campaign to wage. Great grandmother herself  
conceded that fact. It was the only reason that Xian Pu had returned to the  
village. If she couldn't win, then there was no reason to fight.
>>> 
>>> Yet, upon her return she had been met with derision, and worse still pity.  
Nothing grated more than the sad, sympathetic looks on her sister's faces.  
And when they made assumptions about what had happened, or barbed remarks  
about her stature as a woman, she could not fight back. That was her  
punishment for failure. She could not speak a word about what had happened,  
nor could she respond in her defense for a full year.
>>> 
>>> It was, so she was told, "a lesson in endurance."
>>> 
>>> In one year she was to be given a chance to redeem herself, either by  
claiming Ranma for her husband, or by enduring public dishonor through  
ritual defacement or public humiliation. Either way her personal status  
would be in question, with or without Ranma. She didn't know whether to  
hate him, or love him still.
>>> 
>>> "I am sorry for becoming your burden." Herb's quiet voice somehow snaked  
its way into her ears.
>>> 
>>> "Don't be." She replied gruffly. "You're not to blame for their close  
mindedness and stupidity."
>>> 
>>> Herb remained silent for a time, mulling over this unexpected response.  
Pepper walked at his master's side, taking three steps to Herb's every one.
>>> 
>>> "You are not like the others." His statement was both a compliment and a  
barb in Xian Pu's side.
>>> 
>>> "I guess not." She said stiffly. Three months of bitterness became clear  
in an instant. She was happy not to be like these narrow-minded bigots, but  
at the same time, she wasn't sure what she was any more. If her sisters were  
Amazons, and she was not like them, then she was no longer an Amazon.  
  
So what did that make her?
>>> 
>>> That was a problem for another time, so she decided to change the subject.
>>> 
>>> "You are not what I remember, Herb of the Musk."
>>> 
>>> It was Herb's turn to become introspective. He didn't remember meeting Xian  
Pu before today; the one named Mu Tsu and Elder Khu Lon yes, but Xian  
Pu...he couldn't remember. He opened his mouth to say so, but remembered a  
rather indignant young woman being carried away by Mint. He smiled at the  
memory and shook his head.
>>> 
>>> "We all change." He admitted.
>>> 
>>> Xian Pu stopped and began to scrutinize the man, uncertain of his meaning.  
His pointy ears, cat eyes, and light purple hair coloring were at odds with  
the strong, masculine body and the massive amount of Chi that he projected.  
He was so very like Ranma in many ways: an excellent fighter, cursed from  
the same pool at Jusenkyo, and both carrying the guilt of their mortality.  
Xian Pu could easily see the weight of failure that rested behind his eyes,  
yet unlike Ranma, the man moved on. Not for himself, but for those that  
depended on him.
>>> 
>>> "You have changed as well." His voice shook her from her thoughts. She  
raised an eyebrow before turning on her heel and starting off again.
>>> 
>>> "Oh? How so?"
>>> 
>>> Herb pondered his response as they neared Xian Pu's home. How could he word  
this so as to not offend her? Pepper, not really paying attention to the direction of  
the conversation paused to pick a small yellow flower from someone's garden.  
Herb plucked the flower from Pepper's hands and motioned for him not to pick  
any more. They were in enough trouble as it was. The flower gave him an idea though.
>>> 
>>> "When last I saw you, you were a flower newly opened to the sun. But now, you are  
a woman fully bloomed."
>>> 
>>> Xian Pu stiffened at the sweet words and spun angrily on the man, only to be greeted  
by a small flower in full bloom. The sweet smell tickled her nose, and made eased her  
anger some.
>>> 
>>> "Peace Xian Pu." Herb's voice was calm and even. "I have found it best to  
speak plainly and truthfully. You asked and I responded, nothing more was  
intended."
>>> 
>>> Xian Pu wasn't sure how to take that either. Luckily someone made sure that  
she didn't have to think about it long. A woman and two men materialized  
behind Herb, causing Pepper to immediately draw his small knife.
>>> 
>>> One of the men seemed amused by this, while the stony faced one slid  
carefully into a ready position. Herb and Xian Pu followed suit. The woman  
Xian Pu noted with a smile sighed in exasperation and smacked the serious  
man in the back of the head; earning her a scathing look from the stony  
faced man.  
  
"Be at ease little cousin." She soothed. "We bring news of danger to your  
Lord. May we approach?" She never took her eyes from Pepper, but the  
message was clearly directed to Herb. When Pepper looked up at his King,  
Herb nodded and motioned the trio forward. Pepper moved slightly in front  
of Herb, knife still drawn, and Xian Pu flanked him coiled and ready to move  
in an instant.
>>> 
>>> "Who are you to come upon the Amazon nation unannounced?" Herb admired Xian  
Pu's bravado, but prayed that anyone capable of teleportation was also  
capable of overlooking her aggressiveness.
>>> 
>>> "Friends to the Amazons and the Musk, Princess." The woman bowed deeply to  
Xian Pu, then turned and repeated her bow to Herb.
>>> 
>>> "I am no Princess." Xian Pu growled.
>>> 
>>> The stony faced one smirked and his other companion had the audacity to  
chuckle! Something unspoken seemed to pass between the trio, but the woman  
kept her smile constrained to her eyes.
>>> 
>>> "Who can say what the distant past holds?" The woman said mysteriously.  
"We all change...some of us more than others, no?" She smirked as she  
looked from Herb to Xian Pu then back again.
>>> 
>>> Herb shivered at the words, but for the life of him, couldn't understand  
why. What did this woman know? Why was she here? The stony faced man  
stepped forward then, and as if reading Herb's mind answered the king's  
unspoken thought.
>>> 
>>> "The demons that sundered your homeland come Emperor Herb. The Rhakshasa  
will not end the Hunt until you, and the last of your people are consumed."
>>> 
>>> The woman hit her companion hard in the shoulder, causing him to rub his  
sore arm for a long time afterwards. Herb hardly noticed. All that he saw  
was the enemy falling upon them and wiping them both out.
>>> 
>>> He scooped Pepper into his arms and started running back to the Hall of  
Matriarchs. Xian Pu took off after him, pausing only once to look back over  
her shoulder to see if the trio was following them. Somehow, she wasn't  
surprised to see that no one remained on the path.
>>> 
>>> ************  
Saotome Home  
Juuban
>>> 
>>> Nodoka was appalled and elated at what she heard over the telephone.  
Ami-chan and her friend being attacked in broad daylight was horrible, but  
Ranma saving her.. How could Nodoka not be proud of that?
>>> 
>>> "Are you sure it was him?" Yuriko gave a perfect description of her son,  
down to the colored trim on his shirt. There was no doubt that it was  
Ranma.
>>> 
>>> "Will you still be coming over tonight?" Nodoka was somewhat disappointed  
that Yuriko declined, but understood the hesitation. Ami-chan had gone  
through a horrible ordeal, and it would be best if she stayed home for the  
night.
>>> 
>>> "Tomorrow will be fine Yuriko. I'll tell Ranma. Give Ami-chan a hug from  
me." She nodded and smiled. "I'll see you both tomorrow afternoon."  
Nodoka hung up the phone and leaned back against the wall. How was she  
supposed to convince him to go to school now? Without Yuriko there to  
weight the discussion, Nodoka feared that Ranma would brush her off again.
>>> 
>>> "Tadaima!"
>>> 
>>> Ranma's voice resounded throughout the house, and Nodoka couldn't help but  
hug herself. How long had she dreamed of hearing those very words? Tears  
of happiness rolled down her cheeks, and she made no move to stop them. She  
tracked Ranma's progress, as he searched for her, but Nodoka couldn't bring  
herself to call out to him.
>>> 
>>> She lost track of him for a moment, and she strained to catch the slightest  
creek that might give him away.
>>> 
>>> "Mom?" Ranma's concerned voice made her jump and yelp in surprise. She  
couldn't help but laugh happily at his concern, and the silliness of being  
caught unaware. "You okay Mom?"
>>> 
>>> Nodoka threw her arms around her son and hugged him in a bone-crushing  
embrace. "You are such a good son!"
>>> 
>>> Ranma grunted, and smiled at her enthusiastic reception. He wasn't sure  
that he agreed with her. He had a lot to atone for; first and foremost was  
his absence from her life, then there were the lies, and the heartache that  
they had caused. Ranma's mind went through all of his sins against the  
woman that had given him life, and felt about an inch tall. His heart felt  
like it would break beneath the weight of all that guilt.
>>> 
>>> He had to make amends some how. He had to make it all up to her.
>>> 
>>> "Sorry I'm late. I ran into some jerks picking on a pair of girls." He had  
the air driven from his lungs as Nodoka squeezed him again even harder this  
time. Grunted again, but this time at the sudden need for air. Nodoka  
relented, but only grudgingly; the smile never left her face.
>>> 
>>> Which made Ranma's chest hurt. How could he have ever doubted this woman's  
love? Stupid old man! Nodoka must have felt the turn of his thoughts,  
because she released him and stepped away, smoothing his silk shirt as she  
went.
>>> 
>>> "Our guests won't be coming tonight, but dinner's almost ready. Go ahead  
wash up while I set the table." She turned to go, but Ranma caught up her  
hand before she could get far.
>>> 
>>> "Uhm, I've been thinkin' a lot.you know about what you said this mornin'..."  
He looked at his feet for a moment and scratched the back of his head before  
continuing. "...about going to school and all..."
>>> 
>>> Nodoka's heart leapt.
>>> 
>>> "Well, you've been alone for so long and I got no where else ta be and all,  
not to mention that it wouldn't be right for me to stay here and not go to  
school. I mean, who wants a drop out Ronin for a son?"
>>> 
>>> Tears started to well in Nodoka's eyes again, causing Ranma to panic. What  
had he said? He had screwed up somehow. He cast back over his words and  
settled on the only thing that he could think of that might hurt his mother'  
s feelings.
>>> 
>>> ...who wants a drop out Ronin for a son...
>>> 
>>> He watched Nodoka lower her head, apparently to hide her shame.
>>> 
>>> Was that how she saw him, a drop out and a quitter? No way!
>>> 
>>> "I'm gonna make you proud of me Mom." Desperate passion welled in his  
voice. He wouldn't lose this fight; he wouldn't!
>>> 
>>> "You'll see! I'll go to school and make you proud!" He kissed her forehead  
awkwardly and took off up the stairs, unable to look her in the eyes. After  
all the lies and pain that he had caused her, he just couldn't stand the  
thought of seeing that disappointment staring back at him. He didn't know  
how he was going to pull it off, but he was going to keep his promise.
>>> 
>>> Nodoka followed his path and shook her head in confusion. Her throat  
clenched as she heard his door open and close, followed closely by a chair  
being pulled out.
>>> 
>>> "But Ranma. You've already made me proud." She watched the stairs for a  
long time before going into the kitchen. She fixed herself a small dinner  
and a traditionally proportioned Saotome dinner, before putting the rest  
away for later. Somehow, she didn't think that Ranma would down anytime  
soon.
>>> 
>>> Nodoka sighed and settled into the familiar routine of eating alone at the  
kitchen table. She would take his dinner up in a bit. Best to let him do  
what he thought was necessary. Besides, it wasn't like they wouldn't have  
more time in the future.
>>> 
>>> ************
>>> 
>>> End Part Three  



	5. Progeny Chapter 4

Untitled Document

> > Progeny  
By Jeffrey Vasquez
>> 
>> Disclaimer:
>> 
>> The characters of Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon are the express property of their  
respective creators, or whomever is currently holding their leases. I don't  
own them, but I'm practicing for when I do.
>> 
>> The rest belong to me.
>> 
>> Author's note:
>> 
>> Some of the early parts of this chapter will overlap, time-wise, with events  
from last chapter. Things are pretty much linear, so there shouldn't be too  
many loopiness.
>> 
>> What has gone before:
>> 
>> Ranma saves Ami and Usagi from a terrible fate, and briefly meets Mamoru.  
Ami and Ranma have their second close encounter, and Ami learns her  
benefactor's name thanks to Usagi's quick thinking (isn't that like, a  
Paradox?). Nabiki remembers something from her previous life, and wishes  
that she hadn't. Mother sends her on a mission to find Ranma. Xian Pu and  
Herb mingled, and Tsuru's group gives the warriors their warning. Ranma  
makes the decision to return to school, to prove to his mother that he can  
be reliable.
>> 
>> Let the show begin!
>> 
>> Chapter Four:
>> 
>> **********  
The Palace of Seven Clouded Heavens  
China  
Tuesday afternoon
>> 
>> Ahbrim Ur walked through the halls of his new palace, clothed only in a pair  
of black silk pants and a set of black cloth slippers that made no sound as  
he moved. Intricate tattoos of a spidery, serpentine design, decorated his  
body; moving subtly with the motion of his strong muscles.
>> 
>> His newly won freedom was wonderful, but the true majesty that he felt  
sprung from the well of power that was his once again. It was a heady  
experience that he tried desperately to control. Yet, the thought of the  
sense-deprived imprisonment that he had been subjected to, reminded him for  
the need of self-discipline.
>> 
>> How many millennia had he been cut off, while locked away in Serenity's  
damnable prison?
>> 
>> He'd long ago lost count.
>> 
>> During the first thousand years, his psyche had crumbled underneath the  
passage of time. He had been stretched thing and folded over and over  
again. He had thrown his spirit out into the void and reduced himself to  
the very components of his being. He had seen his pride, and all of his  
mistakes. He had seen his folly and embraced his sins, and then transcended  
them all. He had been hammered in a cosmic crucible, and shaped into the  
entity that he was today.
>> 
>> Ur no longer saw himself as a man, but as a step above men. Evolved human?  
No. There was nothing scientific about his metamorphosis. He had been  
forced to become the chrysalis, thanks to Serenity's bruised pride. It was  
Ur who had changed. It was Ur that had endured. He had enough humility to  
understand that he was not a god, but he could concede that he was one step  
below divinity. After all, hadn't he humbled and leashed the Rhakshasa?
>> 
>> His shattered soul still howled at the memory of watching young mountains  
grow old. But, that fiery furnace was behind him now. The dross had been  
burned away, and he was free to walk the earth again. He was free, and only  
two things interested him: Reclamation of all that he had lost, and the  
creation of the perfect world. Anything else had been ground away by time's  
maddening snail's pace.
>> 
>> He inspected his newly acquired palace critically. The foundation was  
sound, and the location was naturally defensible. All in all, he was very  
impressed with the former Musk stronghold. The Emperor of this rather  
hedonistic race had fought well, but not so well as his son. Herb had  
acquitted himself in the fashion of a true ruler; saving what he could, and  
destroying what could not be taken with him. Ur admired that, and prayed  
for the day that he might meet with the young mongrel king again.
>> 
>> The only distaste that the palace held for Ur was the lingering taint of  
dragons. It was rife throughout the place, and Ur wondered idly what it  
would take to cleanse it. Ever since the beasts had supported Serenity, all  
but deifying her, Ur had come to loathe the beasts.
>> 
>> He would have to have the place scoured, to sanitize his new home. The  
lesser Rhakshasa had already been set the task of securing the place for  
habitation; searching out stragglers and suicide squads, and sealing up the  
lower levels of the main palace. He just hoped that they left enough of the  
rabble to serve their needs. If not, then they would be set the task of  
acquiring a new Palace staff; otherwise they would serve in that capacity  
themselves. Ur could already think of a few of the demons that would fit  
that bill nicely. The smile on his handsome face was anything but pleasant.
>> 
>> It was a good beginning.
>> 
>> Only a handful of casualties had been suffered in the assault, and for the  
most part, they had driven former the inhabitants into exile. They wouldn't  
get far, and the few warnings that they spread would do the inhabitants of  
Terra no good. He was awake now, and this world was his. It was his  
birthright, and no one would keep it from him; not these pathetic shadows  
that called themselves humanity, nor even his vaulted Queen.
>> 
>> He could feel the power of the Ginzuisho to the southeast, and knew that  
there was only one person that could use it. Serenity, or at best one of  
her descendants, would eventually stand against him. It was an inevitable  
confrontation that he looked forward to. He would, of course, bless her  
with the same opportunity to enlighten herself that she had given him. And  
if she survived, then he would entertain the thought of taking her as his  
consort. He had already felt Mars tickling about, blindly searching for  
him. It was a surprise that she had been the one to dig for him. Neptune  
had always been the nosey one.
>> 
>> Times changed, and people changed. Change itself was the only constant.  
So, it came as little surprise that she wasn't as strong as he remembered,  
nor as adept with her element as she once had been.
>> 
>> Old age, or inexperience was at work here, and Ur was bound and determined  
to exploit the weakness, whichever the case. The old order was about to  
fall, and a new, brighter future was destined to be reborn.
>> 
>> It was time for him to look into what other changes that this world had  
endured. After all, knowledge was power, and he needed all the power that  
he could get to reclaim what he had lost.  
With a snap of his fingers, eight shapes materialized from the shadows.
>> 
>> "Reconnaissance and stealth are your goals. I want information on the  
status of the world at large; technology, political powers, everything. You  
are to find the Senshi and watch them." He paused and looked to one of his  
minions. "They are to remain untouched until I call for their heads."
>> 
>> Ur turned to the leader of his forces and addressed him specifically.
>> 
>> "Set them to task Indra, then prepare your assault on Mount Phoenix.  
Saffron yet lives, as do his people.I want them removed." He waited for a  
moment before motioning a dismissal with his hand. The figures bowed in  
unison and then silently disappeared into the shadows.
>> 
>> Ur calmly walked out onto a balcony over looking the valley, and smiled  
lovingly at the land around him.
>> 
>> "Soon, you will be mine again. And I will dress you in Eden's glory anew.  
Serenity and her brood will kneel before me, and forsake their arrogance. I  
will heal what she tore asunder, and there will be peace again." He did not  
laugh, nor did he boast. He simply continued to walk, laying plans and  
weighing his resources.
>> 
>> *********  
Joketzusoku  
Tuesday afternoon
>> 
>> Xian Pu stood with her back to her great-grandmother, her bonbori held in a  
guard position. The door that stood before her was blasted and singed  
horribly, but the building itself was one of the few that had remained  
intact during the assault. The strangers' warning had given them almost an  
hour to prepare, but even still, it was obvious that they were outgunned  
here.
>> 
>> Herb and Pepper flanked Xian Pu, guarding the right and left quarters.  
Several other Amazons bordered their family's Matriarch as well, guarding  
their leaders as they gathered and distributed the various magical artifacts  
and treasures amongst each other. They worked quickly and silently out of  
necessity. Old feuds were buried, and a true sisterhood had been attained  
in their hour of need.
>> 
>> The young, purple haired Amazon watched the doorway that led out into the  
chaos that was the night warily, waiting for the monsters to attack. The  
fires that consumed her village were mirrored in her angry eyes; tears, made  
silent tracks down her beautiful soot stained face. Herb was touched at the  
emotion that he had been unable to show when his kingdom had fallen.
>> 
>> One day, spent mostly in an unending debate, and disaster had struck. Khu  
Lon wanted to spit. She knew these enemies, or at least was more familiar  
with them than any one else, and understood enough about their power to  
retreat and fight another day.
>> 
>> When the scout parties ran across the advanced patrol of the Rhakshasa, they  
did the most intelligent thing that they could think of. They ran. Their  
warning had signaled the exodus that would scatter the Amazon nation to the  
four corners of the globe. Khu Lon hated it when history repeated itself.  
Still, all of the children and most of the elderly had departed before the  
first wave struck.
>> 
>> Wave. Khu Lon snorted in derision. It had been the advanced scout party.  
Only three of the creatures had followed their prey back to the village, and  
Khu Lon had no doubt that there were more in the wings! Why send a  
battalion when the enemy is untested? Better to hold their forces in  
reserve, in the off hand that it would be needed later.
>> 
>> By the Goddess! The enemy not only showed intelligence, but also had power  
to spare! She and Herb had dealt with one each, but the third had killed  
twenty warriors and wounded four other elders before it had been finally  
brought low.
>> 
>> Khu Lon's opponent had pushed the Matriarch to her limits, and beyond, and  
she still barely overcame it. Her right arm was broken in three places, and  
she had sprained an ankle. The indignity of having to be carried by Xian Pu  
's father was almost too much to bear.
>> 
>> Herb for his part, looked fresh, but Khu Lon could tell he was tired. The  
last two days had left their mark on the boy, and it had shown in the  
battle. He had lost control of himself early on and gone berserk. The  
collateral damage that his power had caused equaled that of the Rhakshasa.  
She shook her head. So much rage, and so little control. If they got out  
of this alive, she would have to see if she could remedy that.
>> 
>> So many "ifs." Khu Lon shook her head and resumed her gathering. Khu Lor  
and Lo Xion had finished their packing and prepared themselves to depart.
>> 
>> "We will travel to Phoenix Mountain, Matriarch." Lo Xion said quietly. "We  
will do our best to negotiate a truce and secure a place for our people  
there."
>> 
>> "Do not bother." Every head with the exception of Xian Pu, turned to their  
Matriarch in shock.
>> 
>> "I pray to the Goddess that you are joking Khu Lon." Lo Xion eyed her  
leader and rival with open disbelief.
>> 
>> "I wish that I were Lo Xion. I wish that I were." Cologne placed the last  
treasure in a satchel before handing it off to Shampoo. "Saffron is an  
infant, and while the people of Phoenix Mountain are great warriors; it is  
inevitable that their mighty realm will fall to the Rhakshasa."
>> 
>> "How can you be so sure?" Khu Lor asked skeptically.
>> 
>> "Because, you foolish old crone!" Cologne snapped. "In less than two days  
time, two of the most formidable kingdoms that this world has ever known  
fell before the might of the beasts! What makes you think that one mountain  
will ward them away!" Khu Lor held in her rage. Khu Lon was right of  
course, but she didn't have to like it.
>> 
>> "The Rhakshasa will eat Phoenix Mountain alive, and then turn its voracious  
appetite to the rest of the world. We were the first line of defense  
against them, and they brushed us aside like paper dolls." She looked at  
each person huddled in the room directly in the eye, weighing and measuring  
them each in turn. When she was satisfied, she handed the two elders a set  
of scrolls.
>> 
>> "We have no time for bickering." She pointed to Ban Dait, the leader of the  
scouting parties. "You will send ten of our nation's fastest runners to  
Mount Phoenix, along different routes. They are to contact Kiima, Saffron's  
seneschal and report of the events that have transpired. They will then  
rendezvous with one of our groups as soon as they are able."
>> 
>> "Groups?" Khu Lor queried.
>> 
>> "Yes. We will scatter our forces and gather them anew as quickly as  
possible. The refugees will continue their journey to Brazil, and the other  
Amazon holdings. It will make it harder for the Rhakshasa to hunt us, and  
at best we will have the opportunity to gather the necessary resources to  
reclaim our home land." Both elders nodded at the strategy. "At worst, a  
remnant will be saved, and our people will not be forgotten. The scrolls  
contain instructions and the location of our chief encampment. Memorize  
them and destroy them before you leave."
>> 
>> The wizened women nodded and glanced over the maps that they were given.  
When their perusal was complete, and the information committed to memory,  
each ignited their map with their Ki. Khu Lon was not quick enough to stop  
them, and turned her worried gaze to the doorway.
>> 
>> "Fools! You have killed us!" She hissed.
>> 
>> Xian Pu smiled grimly as a single shape detached itself from the shadows of  
a building and loped toward them. She loosened her sword in its scabbard,  
and set herself to break the thing's charge. The time had come for a little  
more payback for her sisters deaths; an action that Xian Pu was all too  
eager to perform.
>> 
>> Khu Lon's throat clenched as she glimpsed the beast for the first time. It  
was clearly twice as big as the scouts that they had dispatched earlier, and  
the power that she felt rolling off it easily tripled what they had faced  
before. She wondered just how many of these things were waiting for them in  
he shadows of the forest.
>> 
>> For the first time in over a century, Khu Lon, Matriarch of the Amazons,  
felt terror grip her. A sharp pain crashed into her from behind, followed by  
an inhuman scream. The last thing that she saw before the blackness of  
unconsciousness took her, was the sight of her beloved granddaughter shoving  
her sword to its hilt through the beast's head.
>> 
>> *********  
Hikawa Jinja
>> 
>> Rei had spent the entire day worrying about what her Grandfather knew and  
didn't know. So much so, that three different teachers had pulled her aside  
to speak to her. She had begged out of each confrontation, and afterwards  
decided that she was going to have to confront her grandfather. She needed  
to know the truth, and that meant she was going to be breaking one of Luna's  
biggest rules. But if Grandpa already knew her secret, it wasn't like she  
was telling him.right?
>> 
>> By the time that she had gotten back to the shrine, both Grandpa and  
Yuichiro were gone. The note said that he was going to introduce his  
apprentice to "the wonders of nature." Rei had found the advertisement for  
the hot springs stuffed in one of Grandpa's pockets soon after reading the  
note.
>> 
>> She sighed and absently pulled her hair behind one ear. The idea of being  
here alone was creepy, but a part of her was relieved that she didn't have  
to confront the old man. Maybe she could call Makoto and spend the weekend  
with her. It would leave the shrine untended, which automatically shot that  
idea down. Maybe Makoto would come and stay with her?
>> 
>> It was worth a shot.
>> 
>> Rei entered the kitchen and immediately picked up the phone to make the  
call. She had dialed two numbers when she heard a teacup quietly meet its  
saucer. She whirled and threw the receiver at the noise; only to watch as a  
long slender hand shot out and plucked the telephone out of the air and set  
it down on the table next to her. The elegant, yet aloof woman that sat at  
the kitchen table simply stared at Rei through her timeless stare.
>> 
>> "Setsuna! What in the world do you think you're doing? You scare me half  
to death!"
>> 
>> "Good. Maybe you've learned a valuable lesson then." The green haired  
woman picked up her tea and took a sip. Her casual criticism bit deeply  
into Rei's pride. But the serious gaze that Setsuna leveled at Rei showed  
more concern than the shrine maiden had ever seen before.
>> 
>> "You should pay more attention to your surroundings Rei. Now more than  
ever."
>> 
>> What was that supposed to mean? Setsuna however, didn't seem too  
forthcoming with information.as usual.
>> 
>> "Since you don't usually make social visits, I'm assuming that you're here  
on business." A flash of pain and loneliness crossed Setsuna's eyes,  
causing Rei to blink and wonder if she hadn't imagined the whole thing. She  
hadn't meant for her reply to be so caustic, but her nerves were shot and  
what little sleep she'd been able to get wasn't very restful.
>> 
>> "A woman is entitled to change now and then." Setsuna said after a moment,  
refreshing her tea and pouring Rei a cup. "I came to check on you and to  
answer some questions that you will have."
>> 
>> Rei nearly spewed her tea all over the woman before her.
>> 
>> "Who are you and what have you done with the real Setsuna?"
>> 
>> "Cute." The green haired woman deadpanned. She brought her cup to her lips  
never taking her eyes off of the shrine maiden across from her. Rei  
squirmed a bit under the woman's gaze then picked up her own tea to cover  
her agitation.
>> 
>> "Okay, so you're the real deal. This is just so out of character for you,  
that it makes it hard to believe."
>> 
>> Setsuna smirked behind her cup. "Maybe that's the whole point." This got  
her a raised eyebrow from Rei. "Then again, maybe I'm checking up on a  
friend."
>> 
>> Rei's other eyebrow climbed her forehead, and she simply stared at Setsuna  
for a very long moment. The woman had always been so distant, but it wasn't  
hard to see the weight of loneliness that she tried to hide behind the  
veneer of stoicism.
>> 
>> Setsuna shook off the moment of weakness and focused her attention back on  
the young woman before her. "So. Tell me about your dreams."
>> 
>> It was Rei's turn to fidget, and look nervous. The look that she gave  
Setsuna was fearful and frustrated. It had been more than a dream, but it  
galled her that some bozo could make her feel so vulnerable. She was  
surprised when Setsuna's hand covered her own.
>> 
>> "It's okay to be afraid of him Rei." Somehow that didn't seem to make Rei  
feel any better. "He's the reason that I urged the Queen to institute  
capital punishment."
>> 
>> The shrine maiden looked at Setsuna in shock.
>> 
>> "How do you know about.?"
>> 
>> Setsuna waved her hand and smiled gently. "I know a great deal, but somehow  
it's never quite enough. That's partly why I'm here I suppose." She paused  
looking down at her reflection in her tea.
>> 
>> "I can see potential futures, and what causes them. Some things can be  
avoided, while others are self-fulfilling prophecies that don't change, no  
matter how many things that you attempt. Take Hitler for example. I looked  
for something, anything, to divert the atrocities that he inspired; but in  
the end, any course that I would have taken, would have delayed your  
revival. Even had I intervened, and averted that tragedy, someone else  
would have surely taken his place. There was a man in the United States  
that would have made Hitler look like a saint."
>> 
>> Rei's eyes bugged, but she was held captivated by Setsuna's story.
>> 
>> "I learned that there was a measure of suffering that had to occur in order  
to bring about the greater good. Hiroshima for example: Without it, the  
Japanese would never have been humbled. Their war machine would have  
continued forward, and hundreds of millions of lives would have been lost  
over the course of a decade. And the rest of the world would have ground  
the Japanese under their collective boots. It was a terrible, but necessary  
tragedy."
>> 
>> Rei digested this and nodded. She didn't like it, but she could accept it.
>> 
>> "So what does this have to do with me?"
>> 
>> Setsuna shrugged. "The future is a funny thing. It's constrained by so  
many different variables, that there are times that I cannot make sense of  
what I see." She sighed. "It makes it very hard to prepare any plans."
>> 
>> "And you're going through one of these blind periods now." Rei hoped that  
she was wrong, but intuitively knew that she wasn't. When Setsuna nodded,  
Rei's heart sank. One of their most valuable assets had just been crippled  
in the face of a major enemy.
>> 
>> "It's not so much as a blind period, as a period of information over load.  
There are too many variables, and too much potentials for me to guide.  
Which was why I was hoping for a more intuitive approach." She weighed Rei  
for a moment before draining the rest of her tea.
>> 
>> Rei wasn't sure what she had just heard, but it had sounded a lot like a  
request for help. By the way that Setsuna refused to look directly at her,  
she knew that she had guessed right. She also had enough sense not to be  
smug about this.
>> 
>> "So you need more information, is that it?"
>> 
>> Setsuna shook her head. "If only it were that simple." She swallowed and  
set her hands on the tabletop. Rei started to feel her stomach twist in  
knots. "I am bound by too much dogma and too many doubts to guide us  
through this alone Rei."
>> 
>> Rei's shock meter went through the roof. She knew that she hadn't just  
heard what she thought she did.
>> 
>> "You were the first among us to be contacted by Ur. You saw what he and the  
army that he leads are capable of, and I believe that you can uncover his  
motivations. That is something that I cannot do. I can only see events  
unfold, not the impetus that drives them."
>> 
>> Rei nodded. It made sense, but the thought of even looking for this type of  
information made her blood run cold.
>> 
>> "You won't be alone in this Rei. I promise." Setsuna's smile was soft,  
encouraging, and a bit stiff. "Now tell me about your dreams."
>> 
>> Rei nodded and sighed. Setsuna had a plan it seemed, and the fact that she  
was sharing it at all was a sign of just how serious this business was.
>> 
>> "Well, it was kind of weird. Ami was riding this wild horse bare back  
through a field of shadows. They were heading towards this giant tree, and  
one of the oddest things was, half way through the field, the horse was  
wearing a crown." Rei hesitated and looked up at Setsuna, only to find the  
woman smiling back at her. She could just see the pieces falling into place  
behind the green haired woman's eyes. Rei could just tell that her  
"partner" wasn't going to give up the goods any time soon either.
>> 
>> "Go on." The older woman's voice was encouraging, which gave Rei hope that  
the Senshi of Time might just let her in on what was going on.
>> 
>> "Well, the horse.." Rei pressed forward, answering Setsuna's questions and  
having her own brushed aside without her realizing it. It was a long night,  
and the way that Setsuna continued to grill her, Rei knew that she wasn't  
going to be getting much sleep.
>> 
>> *********  
Juuban  
Dusk
>> 
>> With the sun barely hanging above the horizon, a solitary wind blew through  
desolate streets in the lower part of the Juuban ward. Somewhere nearby a  
dog's barking echoed gauntly, and was soon joined by another.
>> 
>> The desolate mood of the neighborhood would have unnerved Youta Fumikake, if  
he hadn't been so drunk. The five shadows that detached themselves from the  
walls of the alley would have driven him screaming in any available  
direction too, had he been sober. As it was, he could barely lift his head  
without the world spiraling hopelessly out of control. The shadows  
coalesced into five blurred shapes, yet in his stupor he could tell very  
little about them.
>> 
>> In a moment of uncanny clarity, Youta remembered something that his ex-wife  
had said. It had been one of the last things that they had said to each  
other. One of the larger blurs asked one of the smaller blurs a question.  
The smaller blur motioned with one of its hands nonchalantly.
>> 
>> "Youta. Your drinking will be the death of you yet."
>> 
>> He thought it strange that one memory would stand out among the clouded fuzz  
of all the rest. But then again, he thought it truly appropriate when the  
large figure tore his throat out. He remained conscious only long enough  
for the other figures to join in the feast. His last thought was of how  
thankful he was that the alcohol had numbed the pain.
>> 
>> *********
>> 
>> Indra looked up from the gored body of the human that they had dined on. It  
was an appetizer for what was to come, which made the leader of this  
Rhakshasa scout party very hungry. Sadly though, they would have to be  
disciplined in how they feasted. Ur had made it quite clear that this was  
to be a silent mission, and Indra knew enough about the man's power to be  
wary of crossing him.
>> 
>> Indra himself was an impressive figure, standing over six and one half feet  
tall. His broad shoulders carried a Siberian tiger's head that looked both  
noble and nightmarish to the few humans that had been unfortunate enough to  
lay eyes on him.
>> 
>> "Dispose of the remains. Prepare yourselves to leave." His gruff voice  
left no room for argument, not that anyone would have been stupid enough to  
challenge him.
>> 
>> Agni, a small red-eyed woman smiled intensely. Flames burned where her  
teeth should have been. A whip of white flames appeared in her hands, which  
she snapped at what remained of the corpse, igniting it. Within moments it  
was nothing more than tiny gray ashes floating on a fetid wind. She smiled  
seductively at her leader. Hope - or some twisted thing akin to it - lit  
her eyes.
>> 
>> Indra took no notice.
>> 
>> "Split up. We look for a base of operations." He looked at each in turn,  
holding their gaze until each bowed their heads meekly. "No confrontations,  
no killing." He looked directly at the large man to his right. "Is that  
understood Marut? Karttikeya?" A set of deferring nods was his only  
response. "Good. Return here within an hour's time."
>> 
>> The group melded once again into the shadows, and all was as it had been.
>> 
>> *********  
Somewhere  
Wednesday, Pre-dawn
>> 
>> Nabiki had seen quite a lot in her time, mostly because of a certain martial  
artist that had come to live with her and her family. She had been privy to  
the machinations of an ancient Amazon tribe, watched feats of martial skill  
that should have been impossible, and participated in some of the most  
exotic and fantastic adventures that a human could imagine...and that was in  
the first few months of Ranma's stay.
>> 
>> To say that she was familiar with legendary figures, and at ease around  
powerful characters was a given. She had seen and done things that most  
people only dreamed of. So dealing with the likes of Mother and the rest of  
the Clan wasn't all that bad. Sure, the had kidnapped her, danced around  
her mind without so much as a "how do you do?", and told her that she was  
the reincarnation of "The Huntress", Mother's number one daughter.
>> 
>> No problem.
>> 
>> Who the Hell was she kidding? The whole thing was driving her nuts! The  
kidnapping she was used to. It had happened enough around here that Nabiki  
had long ago worked out what she would do if it happened to her. She hadn't  
gotten them to ransom her, nor had Ranma come charging in on his might white  
horse, but she had adapted easy enough.
>> 
>> The idea of having telepathy was cool, but having it used on you was creepy,  
not to mention down right embarrassing! The thoughts of that  
Washi-character were down right hedonistic, and the others weren't all that  
chaste either. The only ones that she even remotely could stand were Hato  
and Tsubame; they seemed more interested in romantic fluff than "getting it  
on" as Washi-san had so politely put it. They reminded her of inexperienced  
schoolgirls more than anything else. That Tsuru guy was nothing but doom  
and gloom. Every time he spoke, she felt like someone was sharpening the  
executioner's axe. She had to suppress shivers just thinking about him.  
Then of course there was that other guy.Yoshitsune. Cute as Hell, with a  
body to die for, and eyes that made her knees swim; but as stoic and grumpy  
as they got.
>> 
>> All in all, things seemed manageable enough; that was, until she had started  
remembering her past life. There had been so many images, and feelings, and  
losses. Her head still felt like Swiss cheese, and the migraine that she  
was fighting wasn't helping things either. Her heart ached at all the faces  
that would flitter in and out of focus; remembered one moment and then  
forgotten the next. Everything was experienced in a haze, and she was  
having troubles sorting out the tangled warren that her mind had become.
>> 
>> She remembered a face that was and was not hers, she remembered discovering  
Ranma's note and feeling a deep loss, and she remembered hating that two  
timing rat Aramas! Dumping her for that Senshi hussy Isis! Of all the  
nerve! Now if only she could remember who in the Hell Isis was, she might  
be able to get some dirt on her!
>> 
>> Nabiki groaned and rolled over onto her side. Everything was topsy turvy  
for her and no one was there to help get her through it. To make matters  
worse, her nose felt stopped up and she was burning up inside.
>> 
>> In spite of her cavalier attitude, this little adventure had pushed her to  
her proverbial limits. Normally she would have been very aloof, keeping her  
distance and remaining objective, while the world did its best to pummel  
Ranma. But it wasn't Ranma that was getting pummeled this time around. Due  
to her current position as number one (and only so far as she knew) fiancée,  
she wasn't sure that she was going to be able to be on the sidelines any  
more
>> 
>> Nabiki wasn't all that sure that she wanted to either.
>> 
>> Her head throbbed and she groaned, clutching something to her chest for  
comfort. It was warm, and shaggy, just like her old teddy bear.
>> 
>> Teddy.
>> 
>> She imagined the lumpiness of his body and the comfort he would give her  
when she was sick. He had that one eye missing, and then there was the  
chocolate milk stain that Akane had spilled on him when she was six. You  
couldn't really tell, since his fur was brown, but she knew where to look.
>> 
>> From somewhere beyond her, she heard something. It was mumbled at first, but  
seemed to grow more distinct with each passing moment.
>> 
>> "...ik....p...."
>> 
>> She squirmed, and hugged the warm, lumpy, shaggy.thing closer for comfort.  
When it tried to wiggle free, she frowned and clutched it tighter.
>> 
>> "Nab... ae... p!" That was odd, it sounded like Kasumi. But why was Kasumi  
visiting Mother's grove? Nabiki stated to work through that puzzle, when a  
ghostly memory of her older sister riding a dragon distracted her. Since  
when had Kasumi stared hanging out with dragons? Didn't she know that they  
were really stuck up? She'd have to have a talk with her big sister later,  
and warn her. The last thing that Kasumi needed right now was that type of  
reputation. The image of Kasumi dating a dragon wasn't proper at all. Now  
the image of Nabiki dating Yoshitsune wasn't a bad thing. She wondered if  
Ranma wouldn't mind sharing her.
>> 
>> "Nabiki! Stop that this instant!" Kasumi's stern voice finally roused her  
sister from the depths of her dream.
>> 
>> ********
>> 
>> Kasumi tugged at the poor young man still clutched to Nabiki's bosom, and  
was amazed at how strong her little sister had become. The young woman  
behind her snickered and sent yet another improper image of Nabiki, Ranma,  
and poor Mr. Yoshitsune doing something that they really shouldn't have been  
doing.
>> 
>> The scene that followed was even worse. Poor Kasumi couldn't take it any  
more.
>> 
>> "Nabiki! Stop that this instant!"
>> 
>> "Kasumi?" The eldest Tendo shook her head, and finally let go of Yoshitsune'  
s arm. "What are you doing here?"
>> 
>> "Don't be silly Nabiki. I live here!" Kasumi grew very concerned fore her  
younger sister. First she had found that Nabiki hadn't returned home the  
night before, and then she found all of these people in her bedroom. "Now,  
if you would please release Mr. Yoshitsune, I would really like an  
explanation."
>> 
>> "Where am I?" The question was definitely out of character for Nabiki, which  
worried Kasumi all the more.
>> 
>> "You're home Nabiki. You arrived early this morning with your guests."  
Kasumi had never before witnessed the miracle of Nabiki coming fully awake  
in such a short period of time. But she refused to release her hold on her  
captive. Poor Mr. Yoshitsune was bent nearly in half as Nabiki sat upright.
>> 
>> The poor man had every right to groan in Kasumi's opinion. To think that  
her little sister was treating a guest in such a scandalous and insensitive  
manner!
>> 
>> The groan must have pushed through Nabiki's disorientation. Kasumi watched  
her gaze slowly fall, to where she had poor Mr. Yoshitsune's face pressed  
firmly between her breasts. Kasumi watched the interplay with some  
curiosity, but was surprised that the man's eyes narrowed.
>> 
>> "You were projecting." He mumbled clearly enough for everyone in the room  
to hear, and Nabiki's face drained of color.
>> 
>> The one that had introduced herself as Hato-chan, tried very hard not to  
snicker, but failed miserably. Her friend, Tsubame, had a very distant,  
shocked expression plastered to her flushed face. From somewhere in the  
house, Kasumi hear Mr. Washi laughing and banging his fist against something  
wooden; the floor or table perhaps. Nabiki blinked twice, then looked from  
Kasumi to the man in her arms.
>> 
>> "Do you mind." His voice was muffled in the soft silk of Nabiki's silky  
green pajama top.
>> 
>> Washi's laughter howled, and poor Ms. Tsubame seemed to be breathing rather  
hard. Hato-chan's own laughter broke free of its dam and filled the room;  
although Kasumi couldn't see what the joke was.
>> 
>> "Really Nabiki! I don't think it's fair of you to play with such a nice  
young man's feelings like this." Hato-chan's laughter drifted to a halt,  
and Tsubame turned her head towards Kasumi blankly. "Here you are engaged  
to Ranma, and leading this young man on! I am very disappointed. Ranma  
will be crushed!"
>> 
>> Yoshitsune went flying across the room, to crash into the wall.
>> 
>> "You're engaged to Aramas Drumheller!" Hato-chan looked pole-axed. The  
brunette's long hair seemed to 'toing' out in every direction, revealing a  
set of elfin ears.
>> 
>> "Oh! How fickle the Huntress is!" Tsubame lamented. Her silky blonde  
braids swished backs and forth as she shook her head in disappointment.
>> 
>> Yoshitsune groaned from where he had slumped; his poor body little more than  
a heap of stunned flesh. Nabiki sprang to her feet and grabbed Kasumi's  
shoulders.
>> 
>> "It's not what it looks like! Really!" Her eyes were huge with panic.
>> 
>> Kasumi shook her head. "Really Nabiki, just because Ranma had a harem,  
doesn't mean that you should too." She frowned ever so slightly. "You're  
all that he has left now."
>> 
>> Nabiki was about to protest further, when she caught a glimpse of herself in  
the mirror; long tapered ears, the kind that the elves from "Record of  
Lodoss War" had, climbed out from underneath her hair.
>> 
>> She blinked and fingered them.
>> 
>> Kasumi sighed and shook her head, then gathered the laundry that she had  
come for and left.
>> 
>> Tsubame continued to lament the indecisive heart of her idol.
>> 
>> Hato-chan kept shaking her head, mumbling something about "Never thought she  
'd actually catch him." before sitting down.on top of Yoshitsune.
>> 
>> Yoshitsune groaned, and Washi continued to laugh.
>> 
>> The house seemed more alive than it had since Akane's death; more so when  
Nabiki's window shattering scream woke the rest of the neighborhood.
>> 
>> ********  
A Dream....
>> 
>> He floated in a black morass, drifting aimlessly from one jumbled set of  
memories to another.  
Each scene was his, and yet not. He remembered everything associated with  
the experiences, but knew that he hadn't lived them.
>> 
>> At least not in this life.
>> 
>> Those words echoed in his mind as he fought to make sense of what he saw  
around him. Images and scenes that were familiar... and yet entirely foreign  
at the same time flashed before him, settling into something more solid, for  
a lack of a better term. He was back at the Tendos', sitting on the roof  
looking out at an ocean sunset.
>> 
>> **Since when did the Tendos own a beach house?** The thought evaporated like  
so much fog, as he felt someone shift in his arms. That was odd. He'd  
never let anyone get this close to him.
>> 
>> It was too "mushy" for a tough guy like him. It wasn't like the closeness of  
the feminine body next to him made Ranma nervous or anything. He never got  
nervous except where cats were concerned of course. Ranma looked down and  
was pleasantly surprised to see a head of blue-black hair nestled against  
his chest.
>> 
>> "How long will you be away?" A quiet voice asked.
>> 
>> "Not long. Two days at most."
>> 
>> He couldn't connect the tone and pitch of that soft whisper to a face, but  
an image of a vast library filled his mind's eye. He remembered shelves;  
towering thirty foot shelves, that dominated the vision, and were topped by  
a second level of stacks that rose another thirty feet in the air. A part of  
his mind named the place as his mother's library. And in an isolated corner  
next to a window, a young woman with short dark hair was curled up on a  
bench, reading in the golden light of the afternoon.
>> 
>> But Nodoka had never owned anything like this. Ever. The young woman  
looked up and he could almost make out her smile. A smile that he would die  
for a thousand times over.
>> 
>> **She was always so cute when she smiled.**
>> 
>> The image faded and was replaced by a dojo; a mad conglomeration of marble  
pillars and the humble mats of the Tendo training hall. Somewhere behind  
him, the soft shuffling of feet played across the room, punctuated every so  
often by the sharp rustling of cloth or a powerful kiai. He loved the feel  
of the place. There was something about the sweat stained wood floor and the  
vaulting marble arches that whispered "perfection" into his soul. The smell  
of activity was heavy in the air, causing Ranma to want to move. The call  
was so great, that he buckled and began flowing through a complex kata that  
he had never before practiced; but remembered performing a thousand times.  
A flurry of punches flowed into a majestic reversed crescent kick. Each move  
was performed with a perfection that he had only dreamed of.
>> 
>> **A dream. That's what this is.** his mind rationalized. Yet the familiarity  
of the images couldn't be denied. He continued to move unconsciously,  
flowing from one powerful form to another; knowing without a doubt that he  
had never learned the moves from Genma. Confusion tugged at him as he  
executed a complex, aerial kick combo, and rolled midway through the  
maneuver into a blazing set of punches that made his Amaguriken technique  
look slow and weak. Power roared through his limbs, and he could hear the  
Song of the Earth coursing through his veins.
>> 
>> It was beautiful.
>> 
>> A new form grew from the old when Ranma noticed that the room had become  
filled with mirrors. Hundreds of reflections stared back at him as he moved  
through the kata. Many looked like him but he knew, that on some fundamental  
level they were different. That one had a scar on his chin. This one wore  
glasses and carried a stack of books. Those two had a positively evil look  
about them. While the guy to his right wore a black uniform with some  
military insignia stitched in silver thread at the throat of his jacket.  
They were all Ranma... but not.
>> 
>> "What the hell's goin' on here?"
>> 
>> His kata slowed to a halt as more and more mirrors made themselves known.  
They seemed to go on forever. A mist rose from the floor, carpeting  
everything within the scope of his vision, in a white fog from the knees  
down. The mirrors stared back at him, watching him mutely as he struggled to  
make sense of the images.
>> 
>> "Answer me damnit! What do you want from me?"
>> 
>> "I want you to remember."
>> 
>> Ranma turned at the sound of his own voice, to gape at the black  
uniformed...Ranma, as he stepped from a mirror.
>> 
>> "I want you to remember who you really are." The black clad figure wore a  
tired, but mischievous smile as he circled his twin. Ranma slid easily into  
a loose defensive stance, ready to take what ever this shadow had to offer.
>> 
>> "Oh, please Ranma!" The black clothed figure groused. "Don't be an idiot!  
I'm you. Do you really expect to fight yourself?"
>> 
>> "You ain't me, man! I'm me!" Ranma growled, hoping that he had said that  
right. There was nothing worse than looking like a fool in front of an  
opponent.
>> 
>> The other figure halted directly in front of his twin, and shook his head.  
In mild annoyance.
>> 
>> "By Saturn's rings! You really like to make things difficult on yourself,  
don't you?" Ranma shrugged in a very noncommittal fashion. "Fine. Whatever."  
The other said with a wave of his hand. "If you want to make this harder on  
yourself, I'm game. Just know that it could have been a whole lot easier."
>> 
>> Ranma wisely kept his mouth shut, waiting for the other to continue. "I'm  
Aramas Drumheller. First Lieutenant of the Queen's Royal Guard, and knight  
protector of the crown princess Serenity." Ranma's eyes widened with  
recognition as memories started to flood his mind.
>> 
>> "Who the hell are you?" His trembling finger stabbed at Aramas' broad chest.
>> 
>> "I just told you." Aramas sighed exasperated.
>> 
>> "That's not what I meant damnit!"
>> 
>> "Then," Aramas rolled his eyes in long suffering. ".Might I suggest, that  
you say exactly what you mean? It will save you considerable grief from the  
opposite sex. Besides, I don't like the reputation that you're giving us."
>> 
>> The young martial artist shook his head in denial. This was starting to get  
on his nerves. "Would you cut that out!"
>> 
>> "What?" his black clothed twin asked with a smirk.
>> 
>> "All this 'you-being-me-being-you' crap!" Ranma had to pause a moment to be  
sure that everything had come out correctly. He hated conversations like  
this. They were so confusing.
>> 
>> "You should listen to him you know." Ranma's body stiffened at the sound of  
that beautiful voice. "...Akane?" He turned towards the sound; pain and  
longing to hold her filled him. She rose from the mist, clad in a white gown  
that shimmered in the half-light. He never understood how he could have  
called her uncute.
>> 
>> "You really should hear him out Ranma." Another voice filled his heart,  
sending conflicting emotions surging through him. He couldn't describe the  
peace and joy that he felt at hearing the new voice. It was like being  
reunited with Akane, more intense.
>> 
>> If that was even possible.
>> 
>> He turned, unsure of what sight would greet him, to see another woman rise  
from the mist. She wore a gauzy white dress that glowed like gossamer  
around her. Her hair was short, crowned with a band of gold that was  
fashioned to resemble a hooded cobra. She had black kohl lining her eyes,  
making her look exotic.
>> 
>> The two could have been sisters for the resemblance that they shared.
>> 
>> And he knew her. He couldn't say how, but he did. It was one of them Déjà  
vu thingies that Akane used to talk about all the time.
>> 
>> "Who are you?"
>> 
>> "Isis."
>> 
>> Ranma felt very uncomfortable, as if the act of even looking at this  
beautiful woman was a sin. He tried to look away, to find Akane again, but  
everywhere that he looked, Isis was there, walking towards him. He tried  
not to feel anything, but something in his heart would not be denied.
>> 
>> She came up behind him, and gently wrapped her arms around his waist. It  
felt so familiar, so real, that he could almost smell her jasmine perfume.  
How did he know that she wore jasmine perfume? Her hands snaked up his  
chest to rest perfectly over his heart.
>> 
>> "Or at least the memory of Isis." she whispered playfully in Ranma's ear.
>> 
>> "Isis..." he repeated. Images started to surface around him, something  
about a library and sitting by a window.. The feeling of peaceful moments  
passing filled him.
>> 
>> Isis rested her chin on his shoulder and watched Akane from afar as the  
young woman mimicked her action with Aramas.
>> 
>> Ranma's eyes slowly opened and he flinched at the perceived betrayal, and  
his own roaring guilt.
>> 
>> "I've never seen you smile like that Ranma." Akane said from where she held  
Ranma's twin.
>> 
>> "It's too soon for this." Aramas said, dejectedly shaking his head. "He's  
not ready to accept...."
>> 
>> "Don't worry." Isis nuzzled Ranma's neck in a familiar way. Memories of  
Isis cuddling up to him...no that other him.Aramas, in the same manner,  
flittered through his head like a swarm of bees. "He will."
>> 
>> The martial artist shrugged free of the woman's arms and backed away from  
the group, keeping them all in his line of vision.
>> 
>> "Like HELL I will!"
>> 
>> Aramas tossed his hands, and shot an "I-told-you-so" look in Isis'  
direction. Isis, for her part, simply crossed her arms in a way that Ranma  
remembered meant big trouble for him...er...Aramas.
>> 
>> Damn this was messed up! He sought out Akane, to see her mirroring Isis  
perfectly. She shook her head in disappointment. Her eyes were filled with  
a mixture of worry and impatience; and he thought that he heard her mumble  
something.... 'Baka'. As she faded into a sudden brightness that enveloped  
everyone, including him. Ranma reached out for her longingly.
>> 
>> ********  
Mount Phoenix
>> 
>> Indra materialized in the shadows of a deep cavern. All about him, his  
brethren and sisters, his legion waited. Ur had given him fine warriors,  
and with good reason; they faced the Phoenix Lord, the Immortal King. If  
half of them survived, Indra would consider them lucky. He had faced  
Saffron before, and had nearly been killed in the battle. Those that had  
gone with him hadn't returned.
>> 
>> But that was a long time ago, and Indra was no longer the pup that he had  
been.
>> 
>> "Savitri, Surya..." Two horse headed Rhakshasa stood from the group, one  
white and one gray.
>> 
>> "Ansa, Aryman, Bhaga." More creatures stood and walked forward. "Take your  
troops and work your way up from the bottom. Purge everything." The  
creatures nodded and melted into the shadows. "Daksha, Varuna, Ravi. You  
will attack the vaults. Do not tarry. The Dread Lord requires the  
artifacts." The second group nodded and vanished.
>> 
>> "Dhatri, Mitra." Indra trailed off searching for the last of his brothers.  
His eyes narrowed, and a low, angry growl escaped his throat. He looked to  
Mitra, his snake headed brother and snarled.
>> 
>> "Where is Yama?"
>> 
>> "Already on the hunt." Mitra's voice held a duality that even most  
Rhashasa found disconcerting, as if two souls were speaking as one. "He  
tired of waiting for your return." There was no challenge in Mitra's voice,  
just simple fact. The snake headed beast felt that lies and challenges were  
for weaker minds. Why lie when the truth hurt more? Why challenge, when  
you could just as easily manipulate?
>> 
>> Indra wondered if his brother had set Yama up to this. Either way, it was a  
winning scenario for Mitra; if Yama found Saffron first, he would be killed  
(of that there was no doubt), but if somehow Indra found Yama first.well,  
the ensuing battle between siblings would leave two holes in the  
ranks.leaving Mitra fewer steps between himself and leadership of the  
Adityas.
>> 
>> "Gather your troops. We hunt the Immortal King."
>> 
>> Indra idly wondered, as he and his faction melted into the shadows, if there  
might be a way to direct Mitra against himself in the coming battle.  
Accidents were known to happen after all.
>> 
>> ********  
Satome home  
Juuban
>> 
>> Nodoka sighed as she stepped through the door to her home. Ranma came in  
quietly behind her, setting their packages down distractedly. The entire  
day had been spent replacing old clothes and getting Ranma other necessities  
that he would need for school. They had stopped by and had him fitted for a  
uniform, much to his dismay. She had to admit that he endured the poking  
and prodding stoically, and had only blushed once when the woman measured  
his in-seam. They had passed by Juuban High school and inquired after  
transferring him from Furinkan. The counselor had smiled knowingly, and  
simply scheduled a placement test for Ranma.
>> 
>> Two weeks and the school would know if Ranma was qualified to attend.  
Nodoka's son seemed relieved for some reason, and had worn a determined look  
all the way to their next stop. It was here that Nodoka started to notice  
her son's distraction. He had become so distant that she had bought two  
skirts and four sets of girl's underwear for his "other half" without him  
even realizing it. He had even picked out the colors! Nodoka was glad that  
Yuriko was coming over. She needed a better understanding of what she  
should expect from Ranma in the days ahead.
>> 
>> "I'm going to get dinner started Ranma."
>> 
>> Ranma seemed to jerk out of his thoughts. "Oh.uh, need any help?"
>> 
>> Nodoka reached up and felt his forehead. "Are you feeling alright? You're  
not coming down with anything are you?"
>> 
>> Ranma smiled softly and set her hands aside. "Just thinkin' mom. That's  
all."
>> 
>> "Care to share?" She asked hopefully. The look on his face seemed  
perplexed, and she could tell that he really wanted to open up.
>> 
>> "Well.I guess. You won't laugh or think I'm weird will you?"
>> 
>> Nodoka frowned and crossed her arms under her breasts. "Ranma I am your  
mother. Mothers' do not think their sons are weird."
>> 
>> "Even when they turn into girls?"
>> 
>> Nodoka chuckled.
>> 
>> "How can I when I have the best of both worlds?" She saw Ranma's face look  
skeptical. "Son or Daughter it is the same. You are my child. I gave  
birth to you, I changed your diapers, and fed you." Nodoka seemed to lose  
herself for a moment in her memories, and so didn't notice the guilt  
building behind Ranma's eyes.
>> 
>> "You are a part of me Ranma." She said at last. "A part of my soul." She  
grasped her son's hand and held it tight. "How could I ever make fun of the  
best part of my own soul?"
>> 
>> Ranma seemed taken back by this. How did you react to something like that?
>> 
>> You couldn't.
>> 
>> So he didn't. He simply smiled and nodded.
>> 
>> "Well, I had this really weird dream.." He told her everything, from the  
weird mirror thing down to the whole confrontation between Akane and Isis.  
He described in detail the conversations, and the imagery, all the while  
helping her prepare the meal. And for Nodoka's part, and to her credit, she  
didn't laugh once. Nor did she think of her son as weird.
>> 
>> And for that Ranma was glad.
>> 
>> "What do you think?" He finally asked. He had never talked so much about  
personal stuff like this before. Not to his father, or Akane, or even  
Kasumi. It was nice to be able to be able to open up without being  
interrupted or scoffed at.
>> 
>> His mother was silent for a very long time before she set her stirring spoon  
down. She had a ponderous expression on her face, and Ranma was happy that  
she was taking this so seriously.
>> 
>> "If I tell you something Ranma," she began, ".will you promise to listen to  
everything I have to say, even if it is upsetting?" Ranma wasn't sure he  
liked the sound of that, but he nodded anyway.
>> 
>> "While you were gone, with your father, my mother came to me." She picked  
up her spoon and began stirring something in a bowl again. "It had been  
three years since your father had last written, and I was terribly  
depressed. I thought that you were both dead, and so I called my mother and  
asked her advice."
>> 
>> Ranma felt his heart ache for the loneliness that he heard in her voice. He  
wanted her to stop; not to say anything more, but he forced himself to  
listen anyway. He had caused this pain, at least partially. He owed it to  
his mother to listen.
>> 
>> "Your grandmother was a beautiful and wise woman. I think that you would  
have liked her very much."
>> 
>> Ranma had no trouble believing that in the least.
>> 
>> "She came to me on your eleventh birthday, to help me through the.the."  
Ranma cringed, trying to keep the pain hidden, and failing. He was going to  
pound Genma flat the next time he saw him. He was going to make the fat old  
bloat feel every heartache and every lonely night that his mother had  
endured.
>> 
>> Nodoka sighed and continued.
>> 
>> "You have to understand how difficult it was for me then. It had been  
almost six years since he had taken you, and in that time I had never once  
lost hope of you returning. Then a young girl at the orphanage, who had  
recently lost her own parents, asked me if she could come home to live with  
me."
>> 
>> Ranma looked up in surprise. "What did you do?"
>> 
>> Nodoka smiled sadly at her son.
>> 
>> "I came home and cried." Shame crashed down on Ranma like a mallet;  
flattening his spirit and self worth. Nodoka seemed to realize this and set  
her spoon aside. She walked the five paces over to her son and wrapped her  
arms around him.
>> 
>> "I want you to understand something before I continue." He couldn't look  
her in the eye, so she gently took his face in her hands and forced him to  
gaze upon her. "I do not blame you. Not in the least, so don't think that  
my telling you this is to make you feel guilty. I blame your father's  
pride, and my own stupidity for what happened. Do you understand."
>> 
>> The shame didn't fade completely, but Ranma nodded his head silently.
>> 
>> "Good. Now then, this young girl; I called her Ayame-chan. This young girl  
asked to be my daughter; she gave me the opportunity to fill the void in  
both of our hearts. But I couldn't take her."
>> 
>> "Why not? It sounds like you liked the kid a lot."
>> 
>> Nodoka sighed and returned to her stirring.
>> 
>> "I loved her Ranma. She was a sweet child, but she could never replace  
you." Nodoka hid her face for a moment, pretending to read a recipe.  
"Mother said that I should go ahead and adopt her, that you weren't coming  
back, and that it was past time to bury the dead."
>> 
>> Ranma winced yet again.
>> 
>> "I threw her out and told her never to come back." Ranma nearly dropped the  
plate of fish he had been holding.
>> 
>> "Mom.."
>> 
>> "I couldn't accept it Ranma. I couldn't accept that you and your father  
might have been killed." She ran the back of her hand over her eyes, but  
didn't stop stirring her pot.
>> 
>> After a moment of silence, Ranma gathered the courage to ask the next  
question.
>> 
>> "What ever happened to her?"
>> 
>> Ranma's mother sniffled, then turned to him. "Who? Your Grandmother, or  
Ayame-chan?"
>> 
>> He shrugged. "Both, I guess."
>> 
>> "Your Grandmother, bless her, came back the very next day.and the next.and  
the next. Her advice never changed, nor did she relent. She said:" Nodoka  
puffed herself up and pushed her chin down to touch her chest. When she  
spoke again, it was with a very authoritative voice.
>> 
>> "'The dead are meant to be buried, and the living are meant to live. Live  
No-chan. Live!'."
>> 
>> Nodoka shrugged, and Ranma looked uncomfortable.
>> 
>> "I went to the director of the Orphanage the next day, and was told that  
Ayame-cha had been placed in a home." Nodoka smirked. "She had a temper  
that one, and apparently had broken one too many noses." There was a  
wistful, dreamy look in her eyes as she remembered the little girl.
>> 
>> When she returned her gaze to Ranma, he looked more distracted than before.  
She took the plate from him and set it down; then she picked up his hands in  
hers and drew him to sit at the kitchen table.
>> 
>> "Your Grandmother was right Ranma. I should have adopted that little girl.  
If I had, then you would have had a sister. If I had, I wouldn't have been  
so very lonely all those years. The fact remains, that I didn't, and I  
suffered for it."
>> 
>> She patted his hands and smiled.
>> 
>> "The dead are meant to be buried, and the living are meant to live. Live  
Ranma. Live!"
>> 
>> Nodoka couldn't tell if she had gotten through or not, but she did at least  
expect the seed to be planted. She let him digest it all for a moment,  
before returning to making dinner. Their guests would be here soon, and she  
hoped that they could have everything ready to go before then.
>> 
>> Ranma simply sat at the table, staring off into space, pondering his mother'  
s words.
>> 
>> ********  
Juuban  
Near the Saotome Dojo
>> 
>> "Are you sure this is okay Mizuno-sensei?" Usagi couldn't believe her luck!  
Not only was she going to get the chance to try and fix Ami up with a cute  
boy, but Ami's mom had all but begged her to come; going so far as to  
promise to take Usagi out for ice cream after wards!
>> 
>> Ami had said that her mom had vowed never to do that again!
>> 
>> "Usagi-chan, I wish that you would call me Yuriko." Ami's mother smiled at  
the blonde. "You make me feel so old when you call me 'Mizuno-sensei.'  
Besides we have a deal. You keep Ami company tonight and help her make this  
boy feel comfortable here, and I buy the ice cream."
>> 
>> Ami groaned and tried not think about her mother bribing one of her best  
friends.
>> 
>> "Who can withstand that kind of invitation?" Makoto said from her position  
on Usagi's left.
>> 
>> Make that two of her best friends.
>> 
>> "Not me!" Usagi chirped, and everyone laughed; everyone that was, except  
Ami. She simply walked stiffly in the long, indigo skirt and the clutched  
the small "thank you" gift that her mother had forced her to buy, to her  
chest. The long sleeved, white blouse was very flattering, and made the  
skirt seem darker than it was. Usagi and Makoto couldn't stop talking about  
how beautiful she looked, and how she was going to knock the sock off of  
Ranma when he saw her.
>> 
>> For some reason, Ami didn't know if that was a good thing or not. She  
certainly couldn't stop thinking about the dashing young man, which was  
disconcerting. It was just as she had predicted: boys were a distraction  
that she didn't need in her life right now.
>> 
>> If this indeed was the same Ranma that had helped them yesterday, then maybe  
she could somehow get him interested in Makoto. The thought wasn't very  
appealing, but Ami had a future to think about. Yes. Being a doctor  
outweighed being lavished with more of a handsome, well-built, young man's  
attention. She certainly could do without looking into those soulful gray  
eyes, or being subject to his.electric.touches.
>> 
>> Ami sighed and lost herself in the memory of Ranma's touch.
>> 
>> Makoto waved a hand in front of her friend's face and shook her head. Usagi  
giggled and Yuriko smiled. Things were going perfectly, and she hadn't  
even stepped in yet! This was great!
>> 
>> "You know, I would have come just see if this boy is as cute as Usagi  
claims." From the look in Makoto's eyes, Yuriko suddenly felt a little  
worried.
>> 
>> ********  
Mount Phoenix
>> 
>> Kiima ran through the warrens of Mount Phoenix surrounded by five of her  
most powerful guard. The mountain was already falling apart from the  
inside, and if she didn't get away soon, the young child in her arms wouldn'  
t grow to revenge himself on the devils that had all but slaughtered their  
people.
>> 
>> Young Saffron had aged four human years since that Saotome boy had left.  
Which not only surprised the people of Phoenix Mountain, but also bolstered  
their faith in the God-King. It was as if Lord Saffron hungered for another  
battle with Ranma Saotome, to revenge himself on the human.
>> 
>> Kiima wondered silently if her Lord had not for seen the disaster that was  
now befalling his people, and in a desperate attempt to save them tried to  
regain what he had foolishly lost. Whichever the case, Saffron had been the  
one to save her little band each time they ran across the Rhakshasa.
>> 
>> The thought of the Devourers loose again in the world terrified her. The  
legends had spoken of their banishment long ago, and the memory of the  
carnage that they left in their wake seemed very real now that she had seen  
the beasts with her own eyes.
>> 
>> She had to get her Lord away from here. Saffron would continue to grow in  
power and he would seal these monsters back in the shadows from whence they  
came.
>> 
>> "Stop." Kiima looked down at the child in her arms, and noted the intense  
look on his cherubic face. She would never get used to the adult voice  
coming from that toddler's body. "Stop Kiima." She complied instantly, with  
the guard forming up around her in a tight circle.
>> 
>> "Lift me onto your shoulders."
>> 
>> "Yes Lord." She complied with his wish without question. A cold, sick  
feeling fell over her; the sensation left her feeling unclean, as if she  
hadn't bathed in years.
>> 
>> "I am glad to see you again Saffron." A hideous voice slithered from the  
shadows, echoing madly and reeking of evil and violence. Fear gripped her  
heart as a hundred pair of shining, green eyes lit up the shadows around  
them. "It is good that you remember me Lord Phoenix. Can you remember what  
I did the last time I was free?"
>> 
>> The toddler-king made no response; he simply stared into some distant place  
and wreathed his small group in protective dome of flames.
>> 
>> There was a collective hiss from the shadows, and the darkness seemed to  
recoil a bit. "I see that you do." The smugness in the voice angered Kiima  
to the point of action, but Saffron's hand on her cheek halted her. "A pity  
that you are not at your full strength. It would have been a monumental  
battle." The warriors surrounding Saffron and his seneschal raised their  
blades in a protective ring of steel. The men and women knew that their  
lives were forfeit, yet they prepared themselves to sell their lives dearly  
regardless.
>> 
>> "You are a fool Indra." Kiima couldn't believe the age that had suddenly  
entered her monarch's voice.
>> 
>> "Am I now? There is no Serenity to save you this time." The unspoken  
promises that hid in the unseen thing's words, combined with one hundred  
laughing voices, leached the hope from Kiima's limbs. If she had not had  
Saffron with her, she would have crumpled to the floor in despair.
>> 
>> "You are mistaken beast." Saffron smiled viciously into the shadows and  
increased the diameter of his flaming circle by another two feet. "The Moon  
Kingdom yet lives, as does its Queen, the Ginzishou has sung many times in  
the past year." The young king closed his eyes and the flames changed  
color, from red and orange to a whitish blue.
>> 
>> The darkness hissed and retreated further.
>> 
>> "I will have your head for a trophy Saffron!" The shadows boiled, vomiting  
forth hideously misshapen bodies. Saffron didn't notice. His eyes had  
turned south and east of his mountain home, and a small grin deepened his  
smile even more.
>> 
>> "Not today, I should think. No Indra, definitely not today." The world  
went white and from deep within the granite of the mountain's heart, a  
phoenix cried out in rapturous joy.
>> 
>> Right before the mountain itself exploded.
>> 
>> ********  
Tendo Dojo  
Nerima
>> 
>> "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?!"
>> 
>> CRASH!
>> 
>> All across Nerima people celebrated and cringed, as a very familiar sound  
returned to the neighborhood. Many wondered if Ranma had finally put Akane'  
s death behind him. There were ten to one odds that Nabiki would actually  
be able to bring some sense of normalcy back to the ghost town that Nerima  
had become.
>> 
>> BOOM!
>> 
>> Having seen the level of depression that hung over poor Ranma, many of the  
shop owners put down serious money against the prospect of ".insanity ever  
returning to the streets of Nerima."
>> 
>> "Ididn'tdoanythingtoyou!"
>> 
>> They cursed themselves for not being more specific with the bet.
>> 
>> "YOU TURNED ME INTO A #^%^#& ELF! HOW DOES THAT QUALIFY AS NOTHING?"
>> 
>> BASH!
>> 
>> "What's wrong with being an elf? I happen to know a lot of really nice  
elves."
>> 
>> It was an innocent question, spoken from a sweet, and innocent voice. The  
explosion that followed really didn't seem all that necessary at all. But  
then again none of the neighbors could see just how much Nabiki had changed.
>> 
>> Hato-chan hid behind Washi who was simply drinking sake straight from the  
bottle. Nabiki and Tsubame-chan were running around the yard in a fair  
imitation of Ranma and Akane from long ago. Soun hid behind his newspaper,  
and Genma hid with him; both where doing their best to ignore the small  
craters that Nabiki kept making.
>> 
>> Neither man knew where she was getting the lightning, but it was truly  
frightening. They couldn't keep their eyes off of Yoshitsune's smoking body  
that was crumpled and twitching in the corner.
>> 
>> "How long has she been at this now?" Hato-chan whispered.
>> 
>> Washi looked at the little clock on the VCR and took another swig. "Eight,  
nine hours maybe?"
>> 
>> "She has stamina." Hato-chan shook her head and tiptoed toward the kitchen.  
Had she seen the leering grin on Washi's chubby face, she would have been  
running.
>> 
>> "Yeah.makes you wonder don't it?" Washi started to daydream, not bothering  
to shield his thoughts from everyone in the house. Soun's paper was slowly  
shredded, Genma ran to the bathroom, followed closely by Kasumi, Hato-chan,  
and Tsubame. Yoshitsune thankfully, was totally oblivious.
>> 
>> Had Washi not been so drunk, he might have noticed the dark shadow slowly  
creeping up from behind him. Had he not been so sloshed, he might have felt  
the burning cold that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
>> 
>> Soun fearfully crept away from the table and hid himself in the kitchen.
>> 
>> WHAM!
>> 
>> Nabiki stalked away from the comatose form of Washi, growling very much like  
a grizzly bear. What the hell was he thinking? Did he think that she  
wouldn't hear him with these ears? A trail of foul swearing followed the  
young woman as she made her way up to her room. She didn't even realize  
that she was cursing in the language of the Fey.
>> 
>> One thing all of the Clan would agree on: their Huntress had returned.with a  
vengeance.
>> 
>> ********  
Near Phoenix Mountain
>> 
>> Ryouga and Mousse ran for their fool lives.
>> 
>> Not for the first, nor the last time, Mousse wondered how they had gotten to  
China without crossing a major body of water. They had been going to the  
Tendo dojo to say their farewells to Ranma before going their separate ways.
>> 
>> Mousse had the misfortune of walking into a telephone pole and breaking his  
last pair of glasses. But his true folly had been to ask Ryouga to help him  
find his way to the dojo from there.
>> 
>> They had been traveling for more than a month, through a thick wilderness  
that had been both icy cold, and unbearably hot. And not once in all that  
time, had Mousse found another pair of glasses....
>> 
>> He often wondered which of his ancestors had cursed him so.
>> 
>> "I thought you said that we were going to be safe!" Ryouga's angry voice  
floated back to him. "'Amazons!' you said! 'We can go to Joketsuzoku,' you  
said!" The rope that was tied to Mousse's wrist gave a sharp tug as it  
snagged on a tree branch.
>> 
>> "Hey! How was I supposed to know that they were running away from the  
village?" Something very blunt impacted his head very hard.
>> 
>> "We no run stupid Mans! We on too, too secret mission for Elder Cologne!"  
Mousse groaned, not from the blow to his head, but from the ache to his  
pride. Out of all the Amazons that he could have been stuck with, why did  
it have to be Phau Set?
>> 
>> She had been one of the many girls growing up that he had spurned in his  
pursuit of Shampoo, and she was dedicated to making his life miserable for  
it.
>> 
>> "'Hell hath no fury...'" he mumbled.
>> 
>> "Shut up, you!" Phau Set's older sister, Xi Fu had a better handle on  
languages but no personality to back that gift up. She was pretty in her  
own way, but waaay too stuffy and traditional for his tastes.
>> 
>> At least she didn't hit him as much as Phau Set did.
>> 
>> "Because of you two, we never made it to the mountain on time!" Mousse  
could feel Ryouga bristle with outrage.
>> 
>> "So? You should be thanking us! We kept you alive from whatever...those  
things were didn't we?"
>> 
>> Xi Fu snorted derisively, but held her tongue. She knew that Ryouga was  
right, but she didn't have to like it. Who cares if these two weakling  
(well maybe not weakling) males had been lucky enough to defeat the  
Rhakshasa scout? Luck could carry you only so far before it dumped you flat  
on your face.
>> 
>> Truth to tell though, she was thankful. Especially after coming upon  
Phoenix Mountain. Mousse was too. They had come over a rise five miles  
south of the mountain, only to watch it burn from the inside out. The  
stench had been terrible for Mousse; a blending of wood smoke and burnt  
flesh that laced the wind with a sickeningly sweet blend of decay and  
destruction.
>> 
>> A howl from behind him caused the group to double their pace. They had been  
running for two days now, and Mousse had insisted that Ryouga take point; in  
the hopes that the Lost Boy would somehow lose their pursuers.
>> 
>> Both the monsters and the Amazons.
>> 
>> Thus far Ryouga had little or no luck in either endeavor. Par for course in  
both of the misfits' lives. The moment that they needed a break, they were  
dealt the worst possible luck.
>> 
>> Life sucked.
>> 
>> A moment later the blind martial artist ran into Ryouga's stationary back,  
and was sent sprawling. "What are you doing!?!" The crashing underbrush  
was the only warning that he received, as a black blur swept passed them.  
Pain bloomed across his back, like some blossoming inferno.
>> 
>> He could feel the blood oozing down his back, mixing with the salty sweat  
and grime that coated his back. A scimitar leapt into his hands  
instinctively as he moved back to back with Ryouga. The Amazons entered the  
scene an instant later, weapons drawn.
>> 
>> "A good chase Meat." Gods! The thing's voice was like oil creeping over  
dry leaves. "But every hunt has an end." He didn't know what would be  
worse, enduring the thing's voice, or being forced to look at it and listen  
to it speak.
>> 
>> For once in his life, he was glad to have poor sight.
>> 
>> "No use running." Ryouga sounded detached and void of hope. Mousse almost  
smiled happily.
>> 
>> "I'm glad that you see this. The hunt is boring if the chase lasts too  
long."
>> 
>> Xi Fu's sweat laden scent entered Mousse's nostrils and a slight shift in  
the undergrowth told him that she was settling into a better position.  
Thankfully the thing was in front of them and not behind. It made Ryouga's  
job easier.
>> 
>> "You killed all those people in the Amazon village."
>> 
>> "As I will kill you." Mousse could here the sneer in the thing's voice.  
Ryouga was growing more depressed.
>> 
>> "...and at Phoenix Mountain..."
>> 
>> "Yessssss." The monster's purr set the hairs on the back of his neck,  
standing on end.
>> 
>> "Why am I so cursed?" Mousse could see the glow surrounding Ryouga now, and  
it was steadily growing brighter by the second. From what he remembered of  
the technique, Mousse knew that he was probably going to get fried too.
>> 
>> How utterly fitting...a meaningless death, for a meaningless life. Had he  
been able to step outside of himself, Mousse would have been surprised. His  
body had taken on the same sickly green glow as Ryouga's.
>> 
>> "Why must people always die? Oh, Akane."
>> 
>> **Xian Pu...**
>> 
>> The monster growled and launched itself at Ryouga. Mousse tensed, waiting  
for the blow to fall.
>> 
>> "SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
>> 
>> ********  
Somewhere near Nanking, China
>> 
>> They had traveled far, and lost many, but a group of refugees from the  
fallen Musk and Amazon kingdoms finally found rest in a small village two  
days North and East of one of China's largest cities.
>> 
>> Shampoo and Herb sat in a dark room, guarding one of the last Matriarchs of  
the Amazons, and in truth their only hope for survival. Herb sat in a chair  
that over looked the tiny cot that held the future of his once mighty  
dynasty.
>> 
>> The small, weary, body of Pepper slept soundly. He shook his head, in  
wonder as he thought of the flight from Joketsuzoku. The boy had carried  
matriarch Cologne on his back for over twenty miles before finally passing  
out due to fatigue. Herb and his generals had lost many more of  
their straggling band before all was said and done, but midway through the  
night an eerie mist sprang up around the refugees.
>> 
>> Herb wasn't sure how long they had bumbled around in the mists, yet as the  
first light of the sun touched the mists, the exhausted army had found  
themselves on the outskirts of a small valley just north of where the  
village they were in now.
>> 
>> How they had traveled so far in one night, Herb would never know; providence  
to be sure, but he was grateful all the same. It had saved the fifteen  
hundred men and women of the remaining Musk from extinction. He silently  
wondered how many of his people would be left to rebuild the kingdom when  
the enemy was defeated. He chanced a glance in Khu Lon's bed and his hope  
fell.
>> 
>> If they could be defeated.
>> 
>> Xian Pu caught his gaze in her own large, beautiful, eyes, pinning the young  
king to his chair. She was so beautiful, filled with the grace of a tiger,  
and the undying fire of a phoenix. All that she had known had been  
destroyed, and yet she fought on. Either she was too stupid and stubborn to  
know when to quit, or her hope truly sprang eternal.
>> 
>> Since he knew her to be intelligent, it had to be the latter; or a  
combination of the two.
>> 
>> He envied her.
>> 
>> "You should get some sleep." She said quietly. "We don't know how long we  
will be here."
>> 
>> "I'll be fine." He said nonchalantly, waving off her concern.
>> 
>> "Just like an idiot male!" Shampoo snorted in derision. "Full of piss and  
wind!" The Amazon maiden stood with her fists resting forcefully on her  
hips. "Take what you can, when you can Warrior! You'll never know when it's  
lost to you until long after it's gone!"
>> 
>> *********  
Somewhere in China...I think.
>> 
>> By the time Mousse's ears stopped ringing, and he could open his eyes  
without a stabbing headache assaulting his brain, it was dark. It wasn't so  
much the lack of light that tipped him off, it was the voices of night  
creatures singing to each other. The odd way that the sounds echoed  
spoke of a shelter of some kind, which by the musty dampness, was a cave or  
over hang of some sort.
>> 
>> A crackling nearby spoke of a camp fire, but the abundant smell of wood  
smoke, that hung heavily in the air, was far more than the small fire could  
produce. He moaned softly as he sat up, clutching his head against the  
throbbing that beset him.
>> 
>> "Lie down Mousse." Phau Set's soft command set his teeth on edge. Why did  
all women find it within themselves to order a man about?
>> 
>> "I am tired of lying down." He propped himself up onto his elbows,  
desperately fighting off the vertigo that fell upon him.
>> 
>> He would have made it farther, had it not been for a strong, yet petite,  
hand impeding his progress. "Let me up." his voice was filled with impatient  
petulance. It was then that he noticed that he was only covered with a  
small blanket covering his waist. He blushed and narrowed his eyes  
dangerously. "Where Are my clothes?"
>> 
>> "You're even more dense now, than before you left the village." She said in  
exasperation, ignoring his demand and his question with equal fervor. "And  
worse company."
>> 
>> "Look you!" he bristled, "I didn't ask for your repugnant company! So you  
can just go to."
>> 
>> WHAM!
>> 
>> Phau Set shook her aching hand, and watched as Mousse stared back at her  
blankly. His eyes had this funny, glazed, look about them as the large welt  
slowly grew from the top of his head where she made contact.
>> 
>> "I've had worse you know." He said calmly before passing into a dreamless  
slumber.
>> 
>> "He's grown stronger." The younger Amazon said fondly.
>> 
>> "And more insolent." Her sister snapped from where she sat next to Ryouga.  
"We should leave them here and be on our way."
>> 
>> "After they saved us Xi Fu?" Phau Set said incredulously. "Twice? I  
thought that you above all would honor a blood debt." Xi Fu grumbled  
darkly, but said nothing in return. The large stick that she was stirring  
the coals with stabbed more than stirred.
>> 
>> "I helped carry this great oaf didn't I?" She said defensively. "I could  
have left him. I should have, he weighs a ton!"
>> 
>> "If you say so." Phau Set didn't try to hide the smile that lit up her face  
in the soft firelight. Xi Fu grumbled more, and her stabbing increased  
vigorously.
>> 
>> The sisters sat in silence for a time, Phau Set cleaning Mousse's many  
wounds and Xi Fu trying her level best to ignore Ryouga's naked chest, and  
failing considerably.
>> 
>> They both had been amazed at the sheer devastation that Ryouga's attack had  
caused, and even more so that both men had survived with only a few bruises.  
Their clothing however, had been another story altogether. Not that the two  
were complaining...really.
>> 
>> "So what are we going to do now?" Xi Fu demanded angrily.
>> 
>> "Wait for them to recover I suppose. We can't risk carrying them again,"  
she swallowed hard, "...not if we want to live at any rate."
>> 
>> Xi Fu removed the burning stick from the flames and stared at it harshly for  
a long time. "That's what I thought you'd say." She plunged the stick deep  
into the coals wrathfully, and then cuddled up next to Ryouga. With little  
reluctance at all Phau Set observed. "You've got first watch. Wake me in  
four hours."
>> 
>> Ryouga snored loudly in his sleep and threw an arm over Xi Fu, causing the  
Amazon to squawk in protest and punch Ryouga in the small of his ribs. It  
felt like hitting stone, but the Lost Boy grunted and removed the offending  
appendage.
>> 
>> Phau Set couldn't help but giggle, earning a scathing look from her sister.  
"You find something amusing sister?" The tone of her speech was measured,  
but sending off more menace than their mother's yelling ever had.
>> 
>> "No. No, no, no." She protested. "Not at all." The small smile, and the  
mirthful snort that escaped her lips gave away the lie.
>> 
>> "That's good." Xi Fu said sweetly. "Because you get to keep "Stony" here,  
warm tomorrow night." Phau Set's laughter was severed quite nicely, allowing  
Xi Fu to work herself into a more comfortable spot.
>> 
>> If the Outsider lived through this, she was going to make sure that he  
suffered for it. Ryouga snorted again and threw an arm over the Amazon, who  
growled fiercely under her breath.
>> 
>> No man had the right to do this to her... No matter how good it felt.
>> 
>> ***********
>> 
>> End Chapter 4


	6. Progeny Chapter 5

Untitled Document

> > Progeny  
By Jeffrey Vasquez
>> 
>> Disclaimer:
>> 
>> The characters of Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon are the express property of their  
respective creators, or whoever is currently holding their leases. I don't  
own them, but I'm practicing for when I do!
>> 
>> The rest belong to me.
>> 
>> Author's note:
>> 
>> Things are going well! Thanks to everyone that has sent me a review, and  
for those of you who are hosting Progeny on your sites (or would like to)  
Please drop me a line so that I can get you the new chapters. Thanks for  
reading!
>> 
>> What has gone before:
>> 
>> Alot. Too much to really recap here.
>> 
>>   
Chapter Five:
>> 
>> **************  
Near Saotome Dojo  
Juuban
>> 
>> **_Ser-en-dip-i-ty_**_, **n**. _the faculty of making desirable discoveries by accident.
>> 
>> Also known as: happenstance, a twist of fate, etc.
>> 
>> Ant: coincidence, luck, fluke, etc.
>> 
>> Intrinsically tied to Fate, Destiny, and the Kharmatic Order of the  
Universe.
>> 
>> There are those that believe that there is no such thing as coincidence.  
They believe that all things happen because they are meant to happen. In  
someway they would be correct, yet on the flip side there are things that  
happen just because.
>> 
>> In the case of a young orphaned woman, traveling with a group of her  
friends...well, her life it seemed was ruled by Fate. She had also seen more  
than enough serendipitous events in her short life, not to discount Destiny.  
She just wondered when Fate and Destiny were going to bring her a hunky boy  
to share her life with.
>> 
>> Tonight Fate was going to bless her with a beautiful gift. It might not be  
the boy that she wanted, but it was going to be someone almost as good..
>> 
>> **************
>> 
>> Makoto felt an uneasy sense of déjà vu as she walked down the street with  
Dr. Mizuno and her friends. Everything felt oddly familiar as she passed  
signs and shops, almost as if she had been down this street many times  
before.
>> 
>> Usagi had coaxed Ami out of her stupor, by giving her rather rousing (if not  
wholly accurate) recount of their rescue. Yuriko didn't even bat an eye  
when Usagi came to the part about him glowing, or at the end when he  
supposedly jumped up two stories from a dead stand still. If Ami hadn't  
confirmed it, Makoto would have chalked that part up to Usagi's flare for  
drama. Ami was still a little suspect though.
>> 
>> If some really hunky boy had just come to her rescue and swept her off of  
her feet, she didn't think that she would be all that coherent either.  
Makoto sighed, wondering when it would be her turn. She was so lost in  
thought that she nearly plowed into Yuriko as the woman stopped before a  
gate.
>> 
>> "Well ladies, here we are." Yuriko fussed a bit with the collar of Ami's  
blouse, much to her daughter's silent annoyance. "Is everyone ready?"
>> 
>> Usagi seemed to glow with eagerness, but Ami looked like she was about to  
bolt. Makoto couldn't say that she blamed her; looking up at the sign above  
the gate, the tall young woman felt a chill run down her spine.
>> 
>> Bittersweet memories flooded her mind as she studied the faded wood of the  
gate: memories of a beautiful woman that she had wanted more than anything  
to be her new mother.
>> 
>> *********
>> 
>> Marut had found them easy enough. The purity of their magic stood out like  
a beacon in this gray, technological world. The only question now, was how  
to proceed. Indra's orders had been explicit: watch, nothing more and  
nothing less. But in light of who he had discovered, the leopard-headed  
Rhakshasa wondered if that was even possible.
>> 
>> The Rhakshasa were known to take many forms, and legend had it that they  
could not be harmed by conventional means. Magic however, was very  
effective in damaging them; so much so in fact, that such wounds once  
inflicted, could not be healed.
>> 
>> Marut had come to understand this fact intimately, when a young Senshi of  
Mercury had faced off against him. Her weapon had scarred him for eternity  
leaving a jagged, never healing wound on his beautiful face. His right eye  
was forever blind, and forever experiencing the pain she had inflicted upon  
him when the wound was made.
>> 
>> He loathed her, and everything that she stood for. Were it not for the  
tenuous orders that bound him, the beast would have long since taken her  
heart. Or so he told himself. In truth, it was the presence of Jupiter and  
Serenity's whelp that kept the demon at bay.
>> 
>> There would come a time, when she was alone preferably, that he would  
arrange for an accident to befall the Ice Witch. He smiled hungrily at the  
thought.  

>> 
>> ********  
Nerima
>> 
>> "Mirror, mirror."
>> 
>> Nabiki stared into the hand mirror and examined her almond-shaped eyes.  
Their hazel color seemed more vibrant than it had been.deeper and keener in  
more ways than they should have been. They reminded her of deep forests,  
and secret places that time could not touch. It was terribly unnerving.
>> 
>> For eighteen years, she had woken up and been greeted by a pretty, human  
face in the mirror. The face that looked back at her now wasn't the one  
that she had grown up with. There were familiarities though: the shape was  
vaguely the same, though a tad leaner than she remembered. Her trademark  
grin remained, although her lips seemed a bit fuller. Yet for all the  
familiarity, the elf woman in the looking glass was a stranger.
>> 
>> "Who are you?" She whispered. Her ears twitched subconsciously as she  
settled her chin atop her hands.
>> 
>> She felt like an alien inside her own body.
>> 
>> "A beautiful young woman named Nabiki Tendo." Kasumi said matter-of-factly,  
setting a bundle of folded laundry on the bed.
>> 
>> Nabiki exploded. "How can you be so damn calm about this?"
>> 
>> "Do you have to ask?" Kasumi smiled. She stared at her sister for a moment  
and then shrugged.
>> 
>> After having lived with an aquatransexual and being subject to all of the  
insanity that followed Ranma, Nabiki could see her point.... Still...
>> 
>> "I talked with Mrs. Harada's dog tonight." Nabiki said casually. Kasumi  
nodded and started hanging some of Nabiki's clothes up.
>> 
>> "What did he have to say?" Nabiki shook her head. Leave it to Kasumi to  
take everything in stride.
>> 
>> "He complained about all the noise. Then he started ragging on Ranma, and  
asking after Akane."
>> 
>> "Well, he is an older dog Nabiki. The noise must hurt his ears." Nabiki  
couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing. Kasumi paused and looked at  
her sister with a raised eyebrow. "Did I say something funny?"
>> 
>> Nabiki did her best to calm the giggles, but for a full minute, found that  
she could only wave at her big sister. When she finally brought herself  
under control, the pointy-eared Tendo, smiled lovingly at her sister.
>> 
>> "Has anyone told you how great you are?"
>> 
>> Kasumi blushed and resumed her task. "I don't feel so great." She  
whispered.
>> 
>> "What's that supposed to mean?"
>> 
>> Kasumi paused again and sat herself down on the corner of the bed. She  
studied her little sister for a very long time before sighing and standing  
up again.
>> 
>> "Oh, no you don't. I'm not letting you get away with that. What is it?"
>> 
>> Kasumi began to wring her hands in her apron, and shook her head. Nabiki  
was afraid that Kasumi was going to close up again, but the oldest Tendo  
daughter slumped back to her seat on the bed.
>> 
>> Nabiki could read the posture well enough; not to mention the errant  
thoughts that were slowly seeping through the heavy mental wall that she had  
erected.
>> 
>> "I can't believe it!" Kasumi's eyes widened. "You're jealous!"
>> 
>> Kasumi blushed and her agitation grew. "Not at all. That's preposterous!"
>> 
>> "Don't even try denying it Sis. It's written all over your face." Nabiki  
nudged Kasumi playfully.
>> 
>> "Well, okay. Maybe a little." She smoothed her apron absently, trying her  
best to avoid looking at Nabiki.
>> 
>> "Incredible." Nabiki said shaking her head.
>> 
>> "What?" Kasumi looked up at her sister curiously.
>> 
>> Nabiki stood and moved over to the full-length mirror on her door. The  
expression on her face was carefully neutral, but she couldn't hide the  
dissatisfaction in her eyes.
>> 
>> "I can't believe that you're jealous of this." She gestured at the stranger  
staring back at her in the mirror. Kasumi smiled and moved up behind her  
sister, resting her arms lightly on Nabiki's shoulders. "I can't even go  
out in public any more! My career is shot! What's there to envy?" Her  
ears seemed to wilt with her mood.
>> 
>> "Well now, let's look at this picture. Shall we?" The elder Tendo daughter  
ran a delicate finger over Nabiki's right ear. "Number one: you can  
converse intelligently with animals. Number two: You've got a better figure  
than Shampoo ever thought of having."
>> 
>> Nabiki blushed a bit but consented the point. She had shed fifteen pounds  
and it was all in the right places, and her body had sculpted itself to near  
perfection. She turned slightly, appraising herself in the mirror.
>> 
>> "Number three:" Kasumi said quietly, returning to her seat on the bed.  
"Since becoming Ranma's fiancée you've had more adventures than I will ever  
experience in my lifetime."
>> 
>> Nabiki could only stare at Kasumi for a long time. More of her sister's  
secret thoughts began seeping into her mind. Dreams, fantasies, and quiet  
regrets; but none impacted the Huntress more than the lack of freedom that  
Kasumi's heart yearned for. Being shackled to the sidelines, while she  
played the responsible one. Couldn't they see that she wanted to be in on  
the fun too?
>> 
>> "Careful what you wish for Kasumi-chan." She couldn't suppress the shudder  
that went through her body. "Careful what you wish for."  

>> 
>> *********  
Saotome Dojo  
Juuban
>> 
>> "Welcome to our home." Nodoka's smile was warm and welcoming as she opened  
the door to admit her guests. Yuriko's grin was a giddy mix of silliness and  
excitement that made Nodoka want to laugh. The group of women bowed  
politely, as Nodoka ushered them into the house.
>> 
>> Yuriko entered first, leading the procession. As she passed Nodoka, she  
gave her friend a warm hug of greeting. Ami followed demurely, carrying a  
small present; and Nodoka made it a point to hug the young woman as well.
>> 
>> "Ami-chan you've become such a lovely young woman!" She said, pushing the  
young woman out to arm's length. "The last time I saw you, you were still  
wearing overalls and making sand castles!"
>> 
>> "Thank you Auntie." Ami blushed as Usagi giggled behind her, but took  
everything in stride. Nodoka looked a little ashamed, and quickly changed  
the subject before she embarrassed Ami further.
>> 
>> "Please, introduce me to your friends." Ami was more than relieved to  
direct everyone's attention onto someone else.
>> 
>> "This is Usagi Tsukino Auntie," Usagi bowed politely, smiling brightly.  
Nodoka returned the gesture and smile, then turned her attention to the  
second young woman. ".And this is Makoto Kino. Both attend classes with me  
at Juuban High School."
>> 
>> Nodoka's eyes grew wide as the name registered. She examined Makoto from  
head to toe, finally settling on the bright teary eyes that smiled back at  
her.
>> 
>> "Ayame-chan?" Her throat was constricted and so the words tumbled out in a  
whisper. Makoto nodded and bit her lip in order to keep from losing what  
little control she had left. Nodoka reached up to touch the young woman's  
face, to be sure that she wasn't dreaming.
>> 
>> Behind her Usagi and Ami looked at Yuriko who simply shrugged. The good  
doctor had no idea what was.. Wait a minute. "Ayame-chan?" Recognition  
hit home immediately. How could she have been so blind? She laughed  
happily, causing everyone to jump. Nodoka and Makoto looked at each other,  
then looked at Yuriko. There was a moment of silence, as all three seemed  
to share some private revelation, before the laughter started anew.
>> 
>> "What's going on?" Usagi asked Ami plaintively. She hated feeling left  
out.
>> 
>> Ami shrugged her shoulders and smiled happily. "Something good." She  
sighed and settled herself on the step that led into the house, watching the  
scene unfold. She smiled at the three women and rested her elbows on her  
knees. Her chin plunked down to rest in her palms as she watched the  
reunion. Usagi plopped down beside her, mimicking Ami's posture.
>> 
>> "What did I miss?"
>> 
>> A sudden chill swept down Ami's neck and back, causing her to shiver  
uncontrollably. Usagi shrieked and leapt off her seat, backpedaling until  
Yuriko was forced to catch and steady her. Ami looked up slowly, and met a  
pair of blue gray eyes that had started to haunt her dreams.  

>> 
>> **************
>> 
>> Ranma looked down at the young woman seated on the steps and stiffened  
immediately. He had long ago learned not to believe in coincidences, and  
the fact that he had met up with this same girl, three times in so many  
days.well, it was a sign of sorts.
>> 
>> He wasn't sure if it was a good sign, but it was still a sign.
>> 
>> The young martial artist tugged at the low collar of his black silk shirt,  
and took a deep breath. Okay, two girls from yesterday, plus a third that  
he wasn't familiar with yet; not exactly okay in his book, but manageable.
>> 
>> The fact that one of these girls was Mizuno-san's daughter.now that was  
cause for worry. Mothers tended to like window-shopping for husbands, and  
Mizuno-san had been giving him "the eye" the other night. Pieces started to  
fall into place.a bad sign. Best to find out who the girl was and set this  
whole thing straight as soon as possible. The blonde girl bore no  
resemblance whatsoever, so she was out. The tall girl didn't have the  
build, and the facial structure was all wrong.
>> 
>> Which left one person.
>> 
>> A really eerie chill ran down his spine as he looked down at Ami. She  
smiled demurely and blushed, but for some reason she didn't look away.almost  
as if she couldn't..
>> 
>> Oh, crap.
>> 
>> Ranma swallowed visibly and smiled back. A vague memory surged to the  
forefront of his mind, giving him the most disturbing feeling that he knew  
this girl. Something about a library..
>> 
>> He looked to his mother, Dr. Mizuno, and the other girls; everyone blinked  
once, twice, three times. It was such an eerie impasse, that Ranma decided  
that it would be in his best interest to simply make himself scarce; the  
small room was so full of estrogen at the moment, that he feared they would  
somehow trigger his curse without even resorting to cold water.
>> 
>> Yup. Definitely time for the Saotome Final Attack.
>> 
>> He smiled at them, they smiled back, and then he pointed to the kitchen.
>> 
>> "I'll finish setting the table."
>> 
>> Everyone nodded, watching him depart.
>> 
>> Nodoka shook her head and sighed. "Ranma, Ranma.the dining room is the  
other way." Ami looked to Usagi, and both exploded into fit of giggles.  

>> 
>> **************  
Hikawa Jinja
>> 
>> Rei sat before the Great Fire and chanted the prayer. The flames seemed to  
sense her agitation, and danced wildly in the fire pit. She had been at  
this for over an hour now, and her voice was weak and raw with the effort.
>> 
>> Setsuna had set her the task of looking for the aftermath of Ur's actions,  
rather than find the man himself. It was draining to see all the  
destruction, especially of the village of women that the Rhakshasa had  
destroyed.
>> 
>> "How much longer shall we look?" Michiru said calmly, looking into her  
mirror.
>> 
>> "Until I see some pattern that we can exploit." Setsuna said coolly.
>> 
>> Haruka snorted and took hold of Hotaru's hand. The little girl that had  
grown much over the last two years and looked more like a sixteen year old,  
than the thirteen year old that she was.
>> 
>> "Call us when you find something worth while." Haruka called over her  
shoulder. "Hotaru-chan and I are going for something to eat."
>> 
>> "Traitors." Michiru mock pouted. Hotaru smiled at the aqua-haired woman  
and waved, knowing full well that there was no way that she could get out of  
going. Haruka for her part grinned at her lover and blew her a kiss.
>> 
>> The pair almost made it through the door, when Rei screamed and threw her  
head back in agony. The fire before her collapsed in on itself, plunging  
the room into complete darkness. Setsuna scrambled over to Rei's side  
immediately, and placed her fingers on the young Miko's wrist to check for a  
pulse. The green-haired woman hissed and drew her hand away from the young  
priestess.
>> 
>> "Is she alright?" Hotaru asked quietly.
>> 
>> "Her skin feels like a burning coal." Setsuna whispered. As if on cue, Rei  
's clothing burst into flames, immolating them. A high-pitched bird's cry  
echoed throughout the hall, then sounded a second and third time. There was  
a rush of air then a sudden stillness that made everyone nervous.
>> 
>> Michiru tackled Setsuna away from Rei's prone body, just as a fountain of  
flames erupted from Rei's naked body. The fire danced above her for a  
moment, forming itself into a highly detailed bird of flame, before jumping  
back into the fire pit. Soon the flames had returned to normal, leaving Rei  
to shiver on the floor from a slight draft coming through the open door.
>> 
>> Setsuna looked up to Haruka and Hotaru. "Go to Rei's room and get as many  
blankets as you can." Hotaru disappeared immediately.
>> 
>> When Haruka had left, Setsuna began stripping.
>> 
>> "What are you doing?" Michiru said in confusion.
>> 
>> "The fire's stolen most of her heat. If we don't hurry, hypothermia will  
set in." Michiru blinked. "Well?" Setsuna said crossly as she slid out of  
her long skirt. "Hurry up! Do you want her to die?"
>> 
>> Michiru blinked once more, the calmly began to disrobe. When both were down  
to their underwear, they sandwiched Rei between them and draped their  
clothing over them.
>> 
>> "What was that all about?" Michiru asked when they had finally settled  
themselves. Setsuna was rubbing Rei's arms to get the blood moving a little  
faster.
>> 
>> "Phoenix Mountain." Michiru blinked, uncomprehending. Setsuna sighed,  
wishing that her teammates had full access to their memories.
>> 
>> "There used to be many kingdoms under Serenity's rule, all of them scattered  
across the solar system, residing on the planets that we represent. Each  
world had its own nations, many of which you would deem mythical: Mercury's  
most notable was the Horus, a class of winged Demi-Human that relished the  
heat that the planet naturally provided."
>> 
>> Michiru was fascinated, and began to wonder what denizens had lived on  
Neptune.
>> 
>> "The Horus, like many of the other planetary races worshipped their princess  
as a goddess, with Serenity being the Great Mother of all." Setsuna wrapped  
her arms tighter around Rei, motioning for Michiru to mimic her. The  
elegant woman complied.
>> 
>> "Ra was their last king, and in an effort to further his goddess' influence,  
he set up colonies throughout the solar system. On Earth, most of what is  
now Egypt was under the governorship of Ra's middle son, Saffron. When Meta  
'lla was freed, and Beryl's army advanced, Saffron himself wiped out a full  
legion of the Witch's forces, then was driven to retreat with what little  
remained of his people to a mountain in Northeastern China."
>> 
>> Michiru was fascinated beyond words.
>> 
>> "The most interesting aspect of the Horus was their immortality. They were  
literally a race of phoenix.dying, only to be reborn from the ashes of the  
old. Saffron has been alive, and along with a few other appointees,  
guarding Ur's prison." She sighed. "It seems that Prince Saffron has died  
and been reborn again."
>> 
>> "Well," Michiru said hopefully. "This is good news, right? We have an  
ally against Ur and these demons of his."
>> 
>> Setsuna shook her head. "Not as simple as that. Saffron has since become a  
little.unbalanced." Michiru groaned. Setsuna fixed her with a cold glare.  
"You try living ten thousand years in the main time stream, and see how  
stable you remain. The Horus has lived countless life times. After a  
while, it starts to weigh on you."
>> 
>> Michiru blushed and shifted self-consciously.
>> 
>> "Eeep!" Hotaru squeaked from the doorway, dropping her load of blankets  
into a massive pile at her feet.
>> 
>> "Hotaru! Come on!" Haruka growled from behind. Another large pile of  
blankets started nudging the girl forward, even as she tried to pick up all  
the spilt blankets.
>> 
>> "Drape the blankets over us, then strip and join us." Setsuna ordered.
>> 
>> Haruka's tower of linen toppled. She and Hotaru simply stood in the  
doorway, frozen. Both women looked at each other and blinked.
>> 
>> "I had a dream about this once." Haruka said with a blush.
>> 
>> Hotaru and Michiru snickered.
>> 
>> "Haruka," Setsuna's voice seemed to drop the room's temperature.
>> 
>> "Yeeesss?" The shorthaired blonde said as she pulled Hotaru over to blanket  
the trio on the floor.
>> 
>> "Shut up and do as your told." Setsuna was all but growling.
>> 
>> "Kinky." Haruka purred.
>> 
>> By the glare that Michiru offered Haruka, the racer knew that her lover wasn't  
enjoying her jokes as much as she was.  

>> 
>> *********  
Pheonix Mountain
>> 
>> Indra staggered out of the rubble of Phoenix Mountain. It was evening, which  
made him wonder just how much time had passed. It didn't matter in the end,  
Ur was going to be terribly displeased regardless. The Hunt leader began  
collecting the straggling remains of his people.
>> 
>> The Adityas, what was left of them, were all noticeably injured, save for  
one figure: Yama. Mitra was dead, Dhatri was blind, and Daksha, Varuna, and  
Ravi are nowhere to be found. A full three quarters of their force is dead  
and gone.
>> 
>> "RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Indra threw back his tiger's head and vented his  
outrage on the hapless stones that littered the ground around him. Great  
slabs of granite exploded showering the monster and kicking up a huge cloud  
of dust and debris. The devastation lasted only moments, but the effects  
hung in the air like a funeral shroud.
>> 
>> "Temper, temper." A deep, guttural voice whispered from behind Indra.
>> 
>> Indra growled at the sound of the voice, and slowly turned to face the  
Rhakshasa. ".Yama." Savitri and Surya instantly appeared at Indra's side.
>> 
>> "Are you finished yet, or should I come back latter?" The bull headed beast  
looked down upon his brothers disparagingly; his body held no evidence of  
damage or dirt.
>> 
>> "YAMA!"
>> 
>> "Such drama brother! Such passion! Perhaps you should have been a Kisseki  
Dancer instead of a General." Yama growled as he casually stepped through  
the debris and dust. "Our brothers might still be alive."
>> 
>> "TRAITOR!"
>> 
>> Indra threw himself bodily at the bull-headed Rhakshasa, intent on  
destroying Yama. The ground shook with the fury of his passing, but the  
tiger-headed demon was stopped within a foot of his tormentor Savitri and  
Surya. His burnt fur caused the horse-headed twins to turn their heads away  
in disgust.
>> 
>> "Do not seek to push your failures off on me whelp!" The beast rumbled.  
"Your plan failed and cost us dearly."
>> 
>> "BECAUSE OF YOU!" Indra roared.
>> 
>> "Enough in-fighting!" Dhatri chastened. The beast's head was a mangled mess,  
and no longer resembled anything remotely like the Eagle's head that he had  
worn before. "Ur calls us to report."
>> 
>> Yama reached forth one massive hand and clutched Indra by the throat. "Your  
Master calls whelp. Go lick his boots." Savitri and Surya immediately  
released their hold on Indra, allowing the demon the opportunity to rake his  
deadly claws up Yama's midsection violently. Blood sprayed the ground and  
hissed evilly, blackening the dirt with its poison.
>> 
>> Yama howled enraged and raised his fist to crush Indra, only to be held at  
bay by while Ansa, Aryman, and Bhaga. Indra's ears flattened against his  
skull and his eyes began to fade to black pits.
>> 
>> "You tempt a war whelp." Yama snorted. "A war that you cannot hope to  
win." A flash of black fire burned the three Rhashasa restraining Yama, and  
then the bull-headed demon was gone.
>> 
>> "I may not live through it Yama, but I will see you dead before I fall."
>> 
>> "Ur calls Indra." Savitri whispered. "We must go before Yama can undermine  
us in the Master's eyes."
>> 
>> "So be it." Indra hissed and then the remaining Rhakshasa vanished in their  
own pillars of black fire.
>> 
>> None of the beasts noticed the group of winged forms pulling themselves from  
the rubble a few hundred meters up wind. Kiima carefully waited before  
dragging the fully-grown form of her king from beneath a large stone.
>> 
>> "How is he?" Jhuy, one of Saffron's elite asked with concern.
>> 
>> "Asleep, nothing more." Kiima assured. "How are you and the others?"
>> 
>> "Bruised. A bit singed, but nothing more."
>> 
>> "Good. Take Fehi and scout for survivors. We must be ready to move in an  
hour regardless." The warrior nodded and immediately took off.
>> 
>> "They may have left someone to watch for survivors Lady Kiima." Luong, a  
grizzled veteran of Saffron's guard moved forward and helped her lay their  
monarch out flat.
>> 
>> "That is my hope Luong." She smoothed back Saffron's hair and sighed. "If  
a small contingent were to act as decoys, then the rest of the survivors can  
move Lord Saffron to safety." The grizzled soldier frowned but made no  
comment. "Speak your mind warrior." Kiima was open to suggestions, to  
keeping the bulk of her people alive.
>> 
>> "A foolish and wasteful plan Lady." He grumbled. "Dividing ourselves into  
smaller numbers may not be such a bad way to go, but to send a group out as  
a decoy is murderous."
>> 
>> "What are you suggesting then?" She asked quietly.
>> 
>> "Pick a place that we might rendezvous and then separate into groups no  
greater than five." He made a scurrying gesture with his hands. "The  
smaller the group increases the chance of survival. A hundred tiny groups  
are a lot harder to track than two or three large groups. It would ensure a  
larger number of people saved in the end."
>> 
>> "He is correct Kiima." Saffron's voice was weak and tired, but was assured.
>> 
>> "My Lord!" Kiima and Luong bowed their heads reverently.
>> 
>> "Stop prostrating before me." He said quietly. "I do not deserve your  
reverence."
>> 
>> Kiima and Luong shared a worried glance, then turned their attentions back  
to Saffron.
>> 
>> "Look about you." The king gestured. "There are no fires of rebirth!"  
Luong's brow furrowed, not understanding. Kiima herself felt confused,  
which only heightened Saffron's depression. "I have killed my people! The  
Horus have forgotten their eternal natures!"
>> 
>> "My lord! I do not understand.." Kiima looked at Saffron directly, hoping  
to catch a glimpse of his meaning. All that she found there was a deep  
self-loathing.
>> 
>> "Of course you do not." He said bitingly. "But in the name of Isis I will  
teach you!" Saffron pushed himself to a sitting position, and clutched his  
head against the sudden vertigo.
>> 
>> "Gather the survivors Luong, and see to it that they are paired in groups of  
six. One healthy body for each of the injured." Saffron settled himself  
back on his hands and breathed deeply. "Send them off immediately."
>> 
>> Luong bowed. "Their destination sir?"
>> 
>> "Tokyo. That is where Isis is, and that is where we shall find Hope."  

>> 
>> **************  
Saotome Home
>> 
>> Dinner was a quiet, yet tense affair that had Ranma on his toes the entire  
time. Dr. Mizuno kept staring back and forth between him and her daughter  
the entire time, confirming his earlier suspicions. It wouldn't have been  
so bad if had been just her, but the blonde chick from the night before was  
doing the same thing.
>> 
>> Then of course there was Ami herself, so cute and self-conscious, sneaking  
glances every no and then. Ranma had caught her three times now, and each  
time their eyes met he felt his heart skip a beat. The feeling that he had  
met her before the train station grew each time she laughed, or when she  
would pull her hair behind her ear. It was really starting to creep him  
out.
>> 
>> The of course there was that Makoto chick. She was the only one that  
offered him any familiar ground at all. She didn't hide her dark looks, or  
disapproving glaring at all. It was a hostility that made him feel...well,  
at home.
>> 
>> Damn. He must be more screwed up than he thought.
>> 
>> It wasn't as if he didn't deserve the grief. This was the girl that got  
jilted out of a loving home because of him. He didn't know the rest of her  
story, but he could tell that she resented him for being here.
>> 
>> He hated fighting a battle on so many fronts.
>> 
>> "So tell me Ranma." Makoto's voice was cold as a winter breeze. "Why'd you  
come back?"
>> 
>> "Makoto!" Ami looked at her friend scandalized. Usagi gasped and Yuriko  
looked at Nodoka who simply sipped her tea in silence. Ranma almost smiled  
at the bluntness of the question, as he set his glass down.
>> 
>> "Does it matter?" He asked quietly. "I'm here now."
>> 
>> "It sure as Hell matters you insensitive Jerk!" Makoto said coldly. "Do  
you have any idea how much your mother suffered without you here!" Ranma  
had the decency to lower his head in shame.
>> 
>> "Makoto! That's enough!" Ami said. Usagi just bit her napkin  
uncomfortably.
>> 
>> "It is not enough Ami! Do you know how many times Saotome-san cried herself  
to sleep over this guy and his dad?" Ranma made no move to defend himself.
>> 
>> "Everyone suffers Ayame-chan." Nodoka's voice was quiet, and filled with a  
deep understanding that made Ranma wince. He drained his glass of water and  
clutched it tightly to keep control of the pain. The loaded statement  
silenced Makoto's protest even before it found its voice.
>> 
>> "Please do not judge Ranma too harshly."
>> 
>> Ranma's glass shattered in his hand at the pity in his mother's voice, and  
the overwhelming emptiness in his soul. He wanted scream and yell, but kept  
everything silent.silent as death.
>> 
>> He felt someone tugging lightly on his arm and looked over at Ami's  
concerned face. He blinked a few times before the pain registered in his  
palm. He looked down at the gash dumbly and sighed. Yuriko immediately  
stood and moved to her daughter's side to look at the wound as Ami gently  
began to pick out the glass.
>> 
>> Ranma couldn't help but marvel at how soft and gentle her hands felt. Her  
skin was cool against his, and her brow was furrowed in deep concentration  
as she carefully cleaned the glass from the bloody gash. Usagi took one  
look at the red liquid and turned white, before turning herself away.
>> 
>> "Sorry Mom." He said sheepishly. "I better go clean this up."
>> 
>> Nodoka's concern melted away at Ranma's nonchalant attitude and smiled in  
understanding. Makoto blinked at Ranma, then looked at Nodoka, who merely  
patted her arm softly.
>> 
>> "Come on Bruiser." Yuriko said softly. "Let's see how many stitches this  
is going to take." Ranma winced and sighed. The doctor smiled at how Ami  
refused to let go of the boy's hand as the led him to the kitchen.
>> 
>> When the trio were gone from the room, Usagi slapped Makoto upside the back  
of her head.
>> 
>> "Ow! What was that for?" She demanded.
>> 
>> "And people call me dense!" She hissed.
>> 
>> "Girls please." Nodoka's voice was quiet, but firm, causing both young  
women to calm themselves. "It's best that this comes out now, rather than  
fester."
>> 
>> Makoto didn't quite know what to think of that, but held her peace. She  
didn't think much of Ranma, and if she opened her mouth again.well, there  
was no telling what might come out.
>> 
>> "Saotome-san?" Usagi's timid voice broke the moment of silence.
>> 
>> "Yes Usagi-chan?"
>> 
>> "Why does Ranma-kun look so sad?" Makoto looked at her friend, genuinely  
puzzled. Had he looked sad? She couldn't remember.
>> 
>> Nodoka looked towards the kitchen and took a deep breath. "That is Ranma's  
story to share Usagi-chan." She sipped her tea quietly for a moment, before  
looking directly at Makoto. "But suffice it to say, that Ranma has suffered  
greater loss than I ever did."  

>> 
>> **************
>> 
>> Ami was so focused on Ranma's hand that she barely registered her mother's  
presence at all. It was so strong and callused, yet she knew from  
experience how gentle his touch could be. She felt Ranma tug gently, trying  
to get his hand back.
>> 
>> "Hold still please." She said firmly. "There's just one more piece."  
Ranma winced as she pressed on the wound enough to push the piece to the  
surface.
>> 
>> "Gently Ami." Yuriko chided. "You don't want to make the cut worse by  
stressing the wound."
>> 
>> Ami pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. Her mother was right of course.  
She reached for the damp, bloody dishtowel and dabbed at the wound gently,  
soaking up the blood.
>> 
>> "Look, you're gonna get your blouse all messed up." Ranma protested. "This  
is nothin' ta worry about. Just let me get the first aid kit, and  
everything'll be fine."
>> 
>> "Good idea." Yuriko patted Ranma on the shoulder, affectionately and  
smiled. "Tell me where it's at and I'll bring it down."
>> 
>> Ranma slumped dejectedly and pointed back towards the dining room. It had  
been worth a try, but he should have known better. No use fighting it,  
sooner or later he'd get stuck alone with Ami. Might as well be now, before  
she got any funny ideas.
>> 
>> "Mom can tell ya."  
  
Yuriko patted Ami on the shoulder and winked, causing Ami to blush and focus  
on Ranma's hand again. On her way out, the doctor gave her daughter a  
furious thumbs up, before disappearing through the door.
>> 
>> Ami did her best to ignore the gesture.
>> 
>> Yuriko popped her head back into the kitchen just long enough to leave some  
parting advice. "Make sure you wash the cut out again Ami." And while she  
had her daughter's attention, she added a silent and emphatic "Talk to him!"  
for good measure.
>> 
>> Ranma tried to retrieve his hand again, but Ami refused to let go. "Please  
Saotome-san. Try not to move so much."
>> 
>> "It's just a scratch." Ranma said with a smirk.
>> 
>> Ami sniffed at Ranma's machismo. "A scratch that could easily scar."
>> 
>> "I've got lots of those." Ranma shrugged. "What's one more."
>> 
>> Ami rolled her eyes and picked up the bowl of warm, red water and glided  
over to the sink where she dumped it. Ranma couldn't help but notice how  
smoothly she walked, or the graceful way that her skirt swayed back and  
forth.
>> 
>> Ranma shook his head and looked at the refrigerator. It was jam packed with  
colored scribbles and childish drawings. Yet another reminder of his sins.
>> 
>> "Your mother is a wonderful woman." Ami said from the sink. She held a  
hand under the tap, testing the water's temperature.
>> 
>> "Huh?" Ranma turned his attention back to the young woman. Ami smiled and  
shook her head.
>> 
>> "Auntie. She's wonderful."
>> 
>> Ranma nodded and smiled. "She's more than that."
>> 
>> Ami started filling the bowl, nodding. After a moment, she dumped the water  
and looked at Ranma. For a time she seemed to lose herself, simply staring  
at him.almost as if she were remembering something from long ago. Her brow  
furrowed.
>> 
>> "What?" He said nervously. His statement seemed to jot her from her  
reverie.
>> 
>> "N.nothing." She stammered, returning her attention to filling the bowl  
with clean water.
>> 
>> "C'mon. A girl doesn't give a guy that kind of look for nothin'." Ranma  
scooted to the edge of his chair and grinned roguishly. "Spill."
>> 
>> "Really it's nothing." Ami protested. She set the bowl aside and turned  
the tap off.
>> 
>> "Can't be nothin'. You're blushing."
>> 
>> Ami's blush deepened as she quickly picked up the bowl. A little water  
splashed on the floor in front of her, and she stepped onto the wet spot  
blindly. Her socks were immediately soaked, and slid out from underneath  
her on the slick tile.
>> 
>> Ranma blurred, catching her before she could hit the floor. The water bowl  
was miraculously balanced on the index finger of his wounded hand. The  
casual strength with which he supported her sent shivers down Ami's spine;  
that and the proximity of his face to hers.
>> 
>> "You okay?" His breath was warm against her chin, and Ami gripped his silk  
shirt unconsciously. His shoulder muscles were taut, yet steady. Good  
Heavens! He held her as if she weighed nothing at all!
>> 
>> Ami could do nothing but look into those stormy eyes. Something about this  
all felt so right, that she couldn't bring herself to move. So why, if it  
was so right, did he look so sad all of a sudden? Without thinking she  
reached up and caressed his cheek. Her logic centers threw up their hands  
in frustration, even as Ami's libido did a victory dace. Finally they were  
starting to see some results!
>> 
>> Balanced as he was, Ranma could do nothing but stare back at Ami in shocked  
wonder. Her hand seemed so familiar against his flesh.as if she had touched  
him a thousand times. It was so natural.so right.so.so..
>> 
>> "Here are the banda...Oh!"
>> 
>> Ranma jumped at Yuriko's voice. The bowl slipped from its precarious perch.  
He cursed and scrambled to stabilize it again, but it was too late, the  
water hit anyway. The icy liquid soaked his hair, and his view of the world  
changed. His clothes became baggy and his body shifted and redistributed  
its mass. The waist and shoulders shrank, the bust and hips expanded, and  
his face rounded itself out and softened.
>> 
>> Ami coughed once as the water drenched her face and chest. When she could  
see again, the young, handsome man that had been holding her, had been  
replaced by a busty, fiery haired, young woman.
>> 
>> The bowl clattered noisily to the floor, causing Ranma to wince.
>> 
>> Yuriko's eyes rolled up into her head, and she passed out on the hard floor.  
Ami wanted to join her mother, but all that she could see, were the same  
stormy blue eyes from before. Only this time, the pain and sadness were  
more evident, and tempered by an expectation of rejection.
>> 
>> She had never seen anyone so lonely in her life.and it hurt.
>> 
>> With a shaking hand, she reached up and touched the red head's cheek again.  
When those blue eyes grew wide with surprise, she smiled. The soul was the  
same...she could tell.  

>> 
>> **************  
Idzumo  
Mother's Grove
>> 
>> Idzumo, or rather, "The Land of the Reed Plains', was supposedly the first  
part of the earth to be inhabited after the gods finished their creation. In  
those days the whole earth was full of voices, singing and speaking the  
praises of the gods. After a time, the Lords of the Earth no longer spoke  
the languages of beasts or trees, and thus the language of the Earth was  
lost.
>> 
>> Lost.but not forgotten. In the vastness of Idzumo, the trees and flowers  
still spoke, and the songs of beasts still glorified their gods. The old  
ways were revered and ancient pacts were kept.
>> 
>> He advances Mother. Like an avalanche he moves forward The voice was  
ancient, almost as old as Mother's; yet, it held a harder edge to it. This  
was a meeting of equals, a summit where greater powers played their Great  
Games.
>> 
>> This is already known to the Clan Othepsis. Envoys have been sent to find  
Serenity's Hope. Mother's voice was calm and confident as she responded to  
the large creature before her.or at the very least its spirit.
>> 
>> It's kind had not walked the face of the earth in their bodies in a very  
long time, and their descendants had long since locked themselves away in  
hibernation to await the return of their queen. Yet even in sleep, dragons  
dream a waking dream.walking amongst the sons of Adam and the Daughters of  
Eve.
>> 
>> Othepsis had seen the advent of Sahadriel, the Great Mother, in many of his  
dreams, but until Shemue's breath woke the Queen of Storms none of his  
people could leave their prison home.
>> 
>> I felt the Huntress' rebirth. Another voice conceded, looking up to the  
sky. But will he wake to his role?
>> 
>> Mother turned to address the third power pointedly; her voice was filled  
with warning. The choice will remain his Uthiad. To force him would be a  
worse calamity than the one we now face. Proceed carefully if you must, but  
do not push him farther than he is willing to go.
>> 
>> Saturn's daughters know their place Mother. Uthiad's voice took on a  
haunting echo as she addressed Mother's concern. We are the beginning and  
the end, you and yours can dance as you will in between. Othepsis sighed  
and shifted uneasily, as did many of the other representatives.
>> 
>> We can be patient Mother. We will avoid his dreams. The dragon's form  
shimmered and started to fade. There are others that we can focus on to  
give your Daughter aid.
>> 
>> As you wish Othepsis. Mother said. Wake those that you can. One by one  
the entities began to fade, leaving Mother feeling empty.
>> 
>> "They don't seem to understand the dilemma very well, do they?" A young  
Kenku said from the side of the grove. The other trees looked down on the  
brash youth and rustled indignantly. The obscene gesture that he threw them  
didn't go over well.
>> 
>> How could they Kawasemi? Mother said tiredly. Their tribes are still  
trapped until their Avatars are awakened. Nothing is certain for them, any  
more than it is for us.
>> 
>> "So why not just bring Saotome here?" The young Kenku settled his body down  
on one of Mother's great roots and looked up at her mammoth trunk.
>> 
>> All metal must be tempered Kawasemi. If Serenity's Hope is to succeed, he  
must learn. And it is not just him either. Mother's branches shifted,  
making a magical sound that seemed to calm the grove. Ranma must confront  
Ur alone, but the others will be the vanguard that get him to that battle.
>> 
>> "So, when can I expect them to come knocking on my door?"
>> 
>> I can only pray that it will be soon.  

>> 
>> **************  
The Palace of Seven Clouded Heavens  
China
>> 
>> The storm that raged over the Banyankala mountain range matched its  
creator's mood perfectly: dark and violent. It had been countless millennia  
since the former Lord of Atlantis had abused the elements in such a manner,  
and the night's events gave him a reason for releasing some of his stress.
>> 
>> Rivers flooded and a forest in the eastern valley burned to mimic Ahbrim  
Ur's blazing anger. Yet, to look at the despot, one would never make the  
connection between the storm and the calm man standing before the window.
>> 
>> A fatal mistake indeed.
>> 
>> Somewhere high above him in the mountains, a lake boiled sending up gouts of  
steam, creating a cloudbank that surrounded and obscured the peak. Forks of  
lightning dug hungrily into the earth, and various other objects - living  
and dead, with furious abandon. The man, dressed in a long red robe, stood  
unmoving as he looked out onto the scourged countryside.
>> 
>> The wind drove sheets of rain and hail down upon the unsuspecting refugees  
that yet hid within the valley's confines. Their struggle for survival had  
become that much harder since the breaking of dawn. Ur didn't care about  
those that he had already crushed. He had the Hunt to monitor what he  
considered pests and vermin.
>> 
>> His mind was occupied with other concerns; namely the Horus. The issue did  
little to change his plans for domination and conquest, but it did add a  
certain... something... to the mix. He just wasn't sure what it was, or  
what it meant.
>> 
>> He could still feel Saffron's flame, burning brightly, and knew that the  
Phoenix King yet lived. Which meant that there would be resistance. But  
what could he do now? Indra was wounded, and his other trusted generals  
were detained elsewhere.in short, there was nothing to do. So, for the time  
being, he vented; not openly, for he had learned long ago that to lose one's  
temper meant losing the battle. And one never knew which battle would win  
the war. He would wait, and allow his anger to build into something more  
constructive.
>> 
>> The Lord of the Hunt was torn from his thoughts as a presence silently  
entered the room. The power and scent of the new comer was familiar, and  
strangely welcome, despite the irritation that Ur felt towards him.
>> 
>> Nothing suited Ur better, than when a good dose of synchronicity appeared in  
his life. One window closed, only to have another door open. It was not the  
person that he needed, but it was an agent that would suffice. Perhaps this  
was a sign? He just hoped that the information that Kali had procured about  
the current state of technology in this world was worth the wait.
>> 
>> "You are late." Ur's voice seemed too controlled, even to his ears.
>> 
>> For those that knew him, it was a warning sign; luckily for him, none of his  
new allies had gotten close enough to know him; a practice that he meant to  
maintain. He did not turn to face the demon that knelt at his back, much to  
Kali's shame and frustration. Instead, Ur kept his eyes focused on a  
mountain far in the distance.
>> 
>> "Forgive me my Lord."
>> 
>> The black, panther-headed Rhakshasa bent herself lower to the floor, in the  
hopes of at least appearing humble. No matter what the Pashas said, she  
could not truly accept this man as her leader. Humanity was a food source,  
not and equal. The fact that this "human" was leading the Hunt said  
something to Kali. Ur knew this, Kali had no doubt.
>> 
>> Somewhere off in the distance over three hundred bolts of lightning blew the  
cap off a mountain. "What do you have to report?" Again, Ur's voice seemed  
too calm; much like the eye of the hurricane.
>> 
>> "Magic is all but dead in this world, and the sheep have created weapons  
based on the elements of fire and earth. Some are called 'guns' while others  
are more volatile." Kali's report was delivered in a contemptuous voice for  
the pitiful weapons that humanity had developed for their defense.
>> 
>> Or was the contempt directed at humanity itself? It mattered little to Ur,  
just so long as he received the information that he needed to reclaim all  
that he had lost. He would deal with Kali's veiled arrogance after he had  
gleaned all that he could from the pathetic creature.
>> 
>> A plan began to form as Kali droned on about some of the more impressive  
devices that she had seen.
>> 
>> "... the only true weapon that has been created, is called a thermo-nuclear  
device. Its destructive power rivals that of the Rhuk himself, and could  
easily wipe out one or more of the larger cities." There was true respect in  
Kali's voice as she spoke of this weapon, which intrigued Ur.
>> 
>> "How is it employed?" Ur's voice was almost casual in its inquiry, a  
subtlety that the feline-headed Rhakshasa didn't miss; and though Kali  
wasn't intelligent enough to read the gesture for what it was, she knew  
enough about the man before her to be wary.
>> 
>> Not that she thought the great and mighty Ahbrim Ur posed a threat for one  
such as she... not in the least.... Still, she was smart enough to expect  
the unexpected. It was a shame that her expectations were nowhere near the  
mark.
>> 
>> "The device comes in one of two forms: a projectile, and a stationary  
artifice known as an explosive." Ur nodded and turned to face the falsely  
humble Kali.
>> 
>> "This is good to know Kali. You have done well." The feline purred  
irreverently, an act that Ur chose to ignore. "In light of your success, I  
have decided to grant you time to hunt and feast as you will, until I call  
on you again." He turned away and ignored the female Rhakshasa until she  
grudgingly left his presence.
>> 
>> One last item of business reared its head, demanding to be attended to, in  
the form of a truly humiliated Indra. His General's blackened fur could not  
be cleaned, leaving him patchy and gray, rather than the resplendent white  
it had been. The poor beast waited patiently for the deathblow to come.as  
if Ur was stupid enough to cripple himself in such a manner.
>> 
>> His favored general was not the root of this problem, and Ur knew this.
>> 
>> "Rise Indra." Ur did not turn away from the window, but heard the demon  
stand. "You expect me to kill you now."
>> 
>> "Yes Lord."
>> 
>> "You feel accountable for the failure at Phoenix Mountain." Ur turned from  
the window and looked down at Indra expectantly. The tiger-headed general  
nodded simply.if not humbly. "You are acting blind and foolish then."
>> 
>> Indra made no move to agree or disagree with the Lord of the Hunt. He  
simply remained bowed and silent. His heart however leapt with joy.
>> 
>> "Did you honestly believe that I would not know of Yama's treachery?" Ur  
stepped away from the window, and drew closer to his servant. "You do your  
family honor by protecting him from my wrath, but that does not mean that he  
will escape."
>> 
>> If Indra could have smiled, he would have. Ur motioned for him to stand.
>> 
>> "Go. Return to the others and bring me news of their progress." Indra  
nodded and seamlessly melted into the shadows. It was only after Ur was  
certain that Indra had departed, that he seated himself on his throne and  
called for Yama.
>> 
>> There was no response to his summons.
>> 
>> "Yama. Attend me." He called again. The storm's fury grew when there was,  
yet again no answer. Ur's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the Palace shook  
with his rage.
>> 
>> He clapped his hands twice and the air split with a loud thunderclap. The  
stench of ozone hung heavily in the air, clinging to the cursing form of the  
bull-headed Rhakshasa. Yama cursed and struggled against invisible bonds  
that held him suspended, high above the shadows that promised freedom.  
Shackled and bathed in a pillar of light, the demon could do nothing but  
scream his curses at his captor. Not that it did him any good.
>> 
>> "You have challenged me for the last time Yama." Ur's voice was even,  
devoid of malice or anger.
>> 
>> "I SPIT ON YOUR FETID SOUL HUMAN!" The beast made as if to fulfill his  
threat, but Ur gestured and the bull headed Rhakshasa found it impossible to  
breath, let alone move.
>> 
>> "I cannot understand your impertinence Yama." Ur stepped down from his  
throne and walked around the demon. "With my freedom, you gained release  
from your own prison. Have you not feasted upon the terror and souls of  
mankind, as you were promised? Were not the shackles thrown off?"
>> 
>> "YOU BOUND US!" Yama roared defiantly. "You bound us away from our  
brethren and your whore sent what remained of our empire to their doom  
against Serenity!"
>> 
>> Ur paused to study the demon thoughtfully before resuming his pacing.
>> 
>> "I see." He shook his head and pursed his lips. "This is about revenge."
>> 
>> Ur circled Yama until he could look fully into the demon's black in black  
eyes.
>> 
>> "Do you know from what emotion vengeance stems Yama?" The man clasped his  
hands behind his back and pursed his lip. "No? Allow me to enlighten you.  
This is a subject that I am well acquainted with. I will do so in reverse so  
that there can be no denying the truth of my words."
>> 
>> The beast struggled against his bonds, thrashing against the compressed air  
that held him in place.
>> 
>> "You have an obsession, a hunger to right the wrong that was done to you.  
This obsession was birthed in the fires of your sorrow, and that sorrow was  
birthed at the loss of something that you held valuable.something; dare I  
say that you loved?"
>> 
>> Yama snarled, and his great bovine mouth frothed with the need to savage his  
tormentor.
>> 
>> "Yes dear Yama. I accuse you of such profanity." Ur said smoothly.
>> 
>> "LIES!"
>> 
>> Ur nodded his head and placed his arms behind his back, again bowing his  
head.
>> 
>> "What would you call this attachment that you have for your kind? Pride?  
In order for a being to entertain the notion of pride, must they not first  
esteem something to be of great worth? Esteem is a positive notion Yama."
>> 
>> "I DO NOT KNOW OF LOVE!" Yama roared.
>> 
>> "Such protestations demon, against which I wholly contend. I offer that you  
do know the emotion, but choose to lie to yourself to hide the truth: that  
indeed, you are not so very different from humanity as you thought."
>> 
>> Yama roared again in denial, his mighty muscles again flexed against the  
unbreakable bonds of Ur's magic.
>> 
>> "There are many forms of esteem Yama. One is a condescending sense of  
superiority that comes from possessing a thing: a weapon, a favorite slave,  
etcetera. This is the foundation of obsession, and for the most part is  
celebrated by your people.
>> 
>> "A second is a perverse sense of patriotism. It is an extension of the  
first example, reveling in the superiority of the race or individual. This  
esteem is commonly known as pride: the love of self."
>> 
>> "You love yourself Yama. You love your people. You feel the emptiness of  
their loss, so you seek to revenge yourself against the one that stole them  
from you. Did you not weep and wail and gnash your teeth, when you learned  
that it was I that had set you free; I, the very man that prevented you from  
being consumed in Serenity's last blow? I, the man that had originally  
bound you away?"
>> 
>> Yama fell silent.
>> 
>> "I can see that you did. But it is not for your people alone that you wept,  
but for what humanity stole from the Rhakshasa. They drove your forefathers  
into the shadows. They bound you and hunted you. Humanity made you the  
monster that you are today. You mourn for that time before time, when the  
world was young, and you reigned supreme."
>> 
>> Ur needed no confirmation as he continued to plunge forward.
>> 
>> "I will tell you something more, before you are punished Yama. I will  
reveal to you another dark truth. Have you ever wondered how, after so  
long, that I was able to bind and seal your clan away, when no one else  
could have hoped to defeat you?"
>> 
>> Yama's eyes widened as Ur moved past.
>> 
>> "I see that you already know some of what I will reveal." Ur said smugly.  
His arrogant grin nearly drove Yama insane with the need to kill the man.  
"I spoke with Pluto before my defection in the hopes of uncovering a fatal  
weakness in your kind."
>> 
>> His smile turned cold.
>> 
>> "It was here that I first saw the Moon Kingdom for what it truly was: an  
empty, fulsome husk of arrogance and self-righteousness. Did you know, that  
the first Serenity was an even more pompous woman than my Serenity? She was  
a jealous ruler, paranoid of losing her power to any. It was one of the  
ironies of life, that she was killed by her own husband defending the  
daughter that would one day inherit her throne. It was she that created  
your people Yama.the author of all your violent pride.
>> 
>> "In the later years of her life, when the madness settled in, Serenity found  
a man whispering in her court. He had been telling his colleague about a  
humorous incident with his daughter the night before. The mad queen thought  
he was mocking her, and then later plotting against her rule. In her  
madness she had his family, every last one from elder to newborn, brought  
before her.
>> 
>> "And with the power of the Ginzuisho, she banished them to a place where  
they could never threaten her. But that was not all that she did. She  
changed them, stealing their humanity and marooning them in a dark, evil  
dimension. A place that I believe you are familiar with."
>> 
>> Yama screamed his denial, mourning the horrible truth that had been  
revealed. Ur turned away and returned to his throne.
>> 
>> "Give my regards to the Silence."
>> 
>> And then, without warning, the pillar of light became a pillar of fire. Yama  
's screams echoed long after his flesh had been consumed. Ur contemplated  
the pile of ashes for quite some time, before he finally turned his  
attention to other concerns.
>> 
>> "Savitri, Surya..." The pair solidified immediately from the cool, dark  
shadows.
>> 
>> "Yes Lord?" They said in unison. Their equine heads shivered causing their  
manes to ripple nervously.
>> 
>> "Aditri has lost a son today, and the remnant of the Twelve shall suffer for  
Yama's pride." Both nodded solemnly. "I give you the chance to redeem your  
family of your brother's arrogance."
>> 
>> Both nodded again, consenting to their master's desire, and the chance to  
redeem their family's honor. It was enough to appease Ur, for the time  
being; both brothers understood that they would have to sacrifice much in  
order to work their way back into Ur's good graces.
>> 
>> "I am glad that you understand." He motioned and the two stood before him.  
"Savitri, I charge you to acquire for me a number of weapons called  
'thermo-nuclear devices' and the knowledge of their use."
>> 
>> Savitri bowed once and after a moment, with no further instructions from Ur,  
left the room in the same way that he had entered.
>> 
>> "Surya," the chilled wine felt good tumbling down the inside of Ur's throat;  
like the taste of victory after a hard battle. "... you will go throughout  
the nations of this world and plunge their governments into chaos. I care  
not how, but do not reveal yourself. Let the world governments fall upon  
themselves while we solidify our position. Do I make myself clear?" Surya  
nodded once, and when Ur waved him away, he mimicked Savitri's earlier  
departure.
>> 
>> Ur paced over to the windows again, and began planning his next step.
>> 
>> **************  
Saotome Home
>> 
>> Nodoka looked up in horror at the sound of the splash, pushing Makoto's  
story into the background. A thousand images passed through her mind at the  
thought of her son-turned-daughter facing off against her best friend and  
her best friend's daughter. She couldn't just up and leave Makoto and Usagi  
either. Not without making matters worse at any rate.
>> 
>> She'd have to run damage control somehow..
>> 
>> The strangest thing was the fact that the normal sounds of panicked shock  
were conspicuously absent. Either both women had fainted dead away, or  
Ranma had somehow managed to evade the water.
>> 
>> *Please! Oh, please! Just let it be the latter!* She prayed fervently.  
Usagi laughed reluctantly drawing Nodoka back into the conversation. There  
was nothing for it, Ranma was on his own.
>> 
>> **************
>> 
>> How do you find meaning in the impossible? This was one of the questions  
that an rather unorthodox instructor had posed to Ami, while their Juku was  
studying the Holocaust. When the world itself could no longer fit the terms  
of reality, how could humanity define itself?
>> 
>> Since becoming a Senshi, she'd had ample opportunity to ponder the question,  
and come to the conclusion that you had a choice: to ignore the new reality  
and valiantly cling to the old, or you could embrace the new reality and  
adapt.  
  
Time and again, she had followed the second path; adapting herself to each  
new situation with controlled efficiency. Anything less often resulted in  
pain, and in some cases even death. Feelings and emotions could be ascribed  
later; the important part was fitting yourself into a new reality as  
smoothly as possible.
>> 
>> So...how did you adapt to a situation like this?
>> 
>> Her extremely handsome savior had just become an extremely attractive, buxom  
young woman. Her logic centers rallied to the new problem with gusto.  
After feeling so neglected, they were more than ready to put themselves to  
task.
>> 
>> Her mind worked double time as the young red headed girl helped Ami to  
stand. Okay, so what if he turned into a girl? That meant that he had a  
unique perspective on women right? He could understand the difficulties and  
social idiosyncrasies that the modern Japanese woman faced on a daily basis.  
That was a plus.
>> 
>> Ranma settled her into a chair and turned to the sink.
>> 
>> Ami was amazed at the change that had come over the young man...girl...person  
before her. The predatory grace that Ranma had displayed before became  
more fluid, if that was possible. The little red head reminded Ami of a ballet  
dancer, or perhaps a deer. It was an unnatural grace, more beautiful than  
threatening.
>> 
>> Okay! Point two: Ami could have a boyfriend and a girlfriend at the same  
time.  
  
It took her mind a whole minute to wrap around that concept.or at least to  
sort out the true meaning of that statement. After careful inventory, she  
safely determined that she was not homosexual, and that the intent was to  
have a well-rounded relationship...
>> 
>> Well-rounded? Relationship? Ami blinked. Her logic centers blinked. Even  
Ranma blinked as she turned on the hot water.
>> 
>> "Everything okay?" The aquatransexual asked with genuine concern. She  
tried her best not to look at Ami's sheer, wet blouse. And to some extent  
she succeeded. Ami's eyes were a nice distraction.
>> 
>> Ami blushed and nodded. Then watched in fascination as the red headed girl  
upended a glass of hot water over her head.
>> 
>> The change was no less amazing than before. Limbs elongated, and the chest  
sculpted itself accordingly. Feminine charm traded itself for handsome,  
masculinity. It was a magic that Ami was familiar with and yet was  
completely foreign to her. She must have been staring, because the now male  
Ranma began to pat himself down.
>> 
>> "What? Did my clothes rip?"
>> 
>> Ami smiled and shook her head. "No. I just find it fascinating." She turned  
her gaze from Ranma as he adjusted his pants again. "I'm sorry. It's rude of  
me to stare." Ranma shrugged as sat across from her.
>> 
>> The tabletop suddenly became very interesting to its occupants.
>> 
>> "I'm used to it." He looked uncomfortable for a moment before turning his  
attention back to her. He explored her face intently, probing for what she  
didn't know. His scrutiny seemed to last forever, and was beginning to make  
her feel self-conscious. The room's temperature seemed to raise a few  
degrees as well. She needed something to divert his attention.
>> 
>> "May I ask you a question, Ranma?"
>> 
>> Ranma looked at her, and then shrugged. "Go ahead."
>> 
>> "Are you a boy that turns into a girl, or is it the other way around?"
>> 
>> Ranma looked at Ami's blushing face in surprise again. There were a hundred  
and one different reasons for that question, and only two of them seemed  
anything but innocent. The question was: which form did she prefer?
>> 
>> Ranma wanted to slap himself for even thinking that. Not everything  
revolved around women and men wanting him.or her..
>> 
>> "Huh, That's a new one," He answered. "Boy to girl." He assessed Ami's  
reaction carefully, but wasn't prepared for the relief that washed over the  
other girl's features. He tried his best to push aside the hidden meaning  
behind the look and proceeded to dress his cut. If he didn't make a big deal  
out of it, maybe.just maybe the whole situation would just go away.
>> 
>> Distracting her couldn't hurt either. "Next question."
>> 
>> "Pardon?" Ami asked, confused.
>> 
>> "Don't worry I don't mind. I know you're curious, so go ahead and ask."  
Whew! It worked!
>> 
>> "I wouldn't want to pry, Ranma."
>> 
>> He snorted and flashed her a grin that pretty much put him back at square  
one. Her blush seemed to heat up the room, forcing Ranma to cough and turn  
away.
>> 
>> "Ami-chan, it's bound to come out sometime or another. I'd just as soon you  
heard it from me than some rumor mill." Ranma returned his attention to the  
makeshift bandage, and so missed Ami's blush deepening further.
>> 
>> *He just called me 'Ami-chan'!* A flock of butterflies started squirming in  
her stomach. She had to do some hard thinking before she was even able to  
respond coherently. She had to focus! Focus on something safe! She had to  
distract herself.uhm.science! Yes! She needed to collect data on the  
transformation. Data.
>> 
>> "What does it feel like?" She couldn't hide her eagerness. But she really  
wasn't sure what made her feel more excited.seeing his winter eyes looking  
at her again, or getting insight on such an amazing transformation. After  
all, he wasn't a Senshi.then again, Sieya and the other Starlights changed  
gender.hmmm. New angle.
>> 
>> Ami's logic centers went into overdrive.
>> 
>> Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know the feeling you get when you  
foot falls asleep and you try to walk on it?" Ami nodded. "Well, that's what  
it feels like when the water hits. Then." the small red head gyrated her  
hands dramatically in a churning motion. ".It's like everything's swapping  
places."
>> 
>> "What happens to all the excess mass?" Her question drew a confused look  
from Ranma. "I mean, what happens to all the extra weight? You don't look  
like you weigh the same as when you're a boy." She'd always wanted to ask  
the Starlights about that, but they didn't seem to change all that  
drastically. Ranma's shift was amazing to say the least.
>> 
>> Ranma laughed. "You know I don't know. But it's a great diet program." Ami  
chuckled a bit before Ranma continued. "I lose about seventy pounds with the  
change, and I've noticed that I'm much faster. It's an even trade I suppose:  
strength and weight, for speed and quicker reflexes." She shrugged.
>> 
>> "Fascinating." She whispered. She took a deep breath, causing Ranma to  
blush as deeply as she had earlier. He coughed once into his hand and  
quickly turned away. "What is it?" She asked. It took only a moment for  
her mind to notice the wetness of her chest.
>> 
>> "Oh! Oh...Oh my!" She cast about wildly for something to cover herself with.  
She felt terribly embarrassed. Ranma seemed even more so, as he dug into a  
drawer and found a small hand towel. He tossed it to her without looking.
>> 
>> "Sorry. I didn't look on purpose or nothin'...really." Gah! He hated it when  
stuff like this happened. Ami didn't know whether to feel flattered or  
insulted. "Uhm. You can use one of my shirts, or my Mom's. I'm sure that  
she wouldn't mind." Ranma finally noticed Yuriko and rallied to a way to  
save face.
>> 
>> "You go on upstairs and change in`ta somethin' dry while I take care of your  
Mom."
>> 
>> Ami blinked at the offer, then followed Ranma's gaze to her prone mother.  
"Mother!" She quickly scrambled over to Yuriko's side and began checking  
the woman over for injuries. After a moment's inspection, she found nothing  
serious, much to her relief.
>> 
>> "Go on." Ranma placed his hand on her wet shoulder, and immediately felt a  
shiver at how warm her skin was beneath the cool silk. "I'll handle things  
from here. My room's up the stairs on the right. Just grab whatever."
>> 
>> Chills ran up and down Ami's spine at his touch, as she turned to look up at  
him. She nodded once and then quickly left the room. Her heart was  
pounding fiercely in her chest, leaving her feeling weak in the knees. So  
much so that she had to take the stairs very slowly.
>> 
>> This was insane! How in the world could a man do this to her? She tried to  
push her emotions aside and think about the whole situation logically, but  
the fiery warmth of his hand still radiated on her shoulder.
>> 
>> As she entered Ranma's room, she absently noted that it was very Spartan.  
No posters, a few half full bookcases, some weights and a couple of framed  
pictures on the desk.but little else. Ami idly opened the closet, deeply  
curious as to what she would find there. To her surprise, it was almost as  
empty as the room.
>> 
>> *He must be so used to traveling light.* she mused. She browsed through the  
limited selection of shirts, noting how utilitarian his wardrobe was. The  
casual, comfortable silk shirts were all of the same style and loose fit.
>> 
>> *A lot like Einstein.* she thought with a smile.
>> 
>> She picked out one of the white shits and promptly took off her wet blouse.  
She continued to examine the room as she slid into the shirt. It swamped  
her, making her feel like she was wearing more of a dress, than a shirt.
>> 
>> Her eyes settled on the photographs as she started to fix the buttons.
>> 
>> "Oh my word!" She paused half way down with the buttons to pick up a  
particular picture, and simply stared. The young woman, in the picture  
stared back at her. The resemblance was uncanny.
>> 
>> No wonder Ranma tended to stare at her!
>> 
>> Ami wondered who the young woman was as she set the frame down and finished  
buttoning the blouse. From the looks of it, she was someone special. A  
deep sense of disappointment filled her heart at the thought of Ranma having  
a girlfriend.
>> 
>> *I should be happy!* She shook her head.
>> 
>> "It's not like I have time for anything else right now." She whispered,  
smoothing out the invisible wrinkles in the shirt. So why did she feel so  
empty all of the sudden? A light rapping on the door caused her to jump.
>> 
>> "Yo, Ami-chan?" Ranma's voice quietly drifted through the door.
>> 
>> "I'm decent." Ami marveled at how odd that sounded. It was almost as if  
she were at home. A brief daydream flittered through her mind as Ranma  
entered the room. A home where she and Ranma. The logic centers  
immediately shut off all access to the libido. This was way too soon for  
anything like that to be roaming around.
>> 
>> Too soon indeed.
>> 
>> "Looks good on you."
>> 
>> ".huh?" Ami was still disoriented from the small coup on her warm and fuzzy  
fantasy to respond with any intelligence.
>> 
>> "The shirt." Ranma pointed out. "It makes you look real cute."
>> 
>> Ami's mind nearly shut down. There was only so much sexual tension and warm  
fuzzies that a girl could take in one night. Then Ranma shrugged out of his  
own wet shirt.
>> 
>> Overload.
>> 
>> "Thanks." She said weakly.
>> 
>> Alarms went off in her brain as hormones began to flood the system. Wet  
blanket after wet blanket was thrown on the raging fires that were starting  
up everywhere. The logic centers enacted the emergency protocols and tapped  
into the backup. They needed to work fast before they lost the host system  
altogether to these barbaric hormones.
>> 
>> "Who is the young woman in this picture?" Ami blinked, wondering where that  
question had come from. When she saw the empty pain on Ranma's face, she  
immediately regretted opening her mouth. Still the question was out. Ami  
wondered if this was the "Akane" that he had mistaken her for at the train  
station.
>> 
>> "Is there something wrong?" She asked. Ranma simply shook his head.
>> 
>> "You look so much like her. I mean you coulda been her twin sister. So  
close, and yet so different. Kinda like night and day."
>> 
>> Could have? What did he mean.?
>> 
>> "So who is she? A girlfriend?" Somewhere deep inside of her, a part of Ami  
was praying that this girl was just a friend. Ranma's laugh was bitter, but  
not grating.
>> 
>> "Naw, fiancee."
>> 
>> "Fiancee?" Ami almost slumped in defeat. That something from before  
rallied behind her and forced her to not just roll over and give up. She  
hadn't against Beryl, or any of her other challenges for that matter, why  
start now?
>> 
>> "Pardon me for saying this, but don't you think that you're a bit young for  
that?"
>> 
>> Ranma laughed again.
>> 
>> "I told Pops the exact same thing when he arranged the whole deal. He didn't  
seem to think so." Ami looked at the boy across from her with sympathy.
>> 
>> "An arranged marriage. Doesn't sound very romantic."
>> 
>> Ranma shrugged his shoulders.
>> 
>> "I ain't much into romance. It was an honor thing. Marry a daughter from the  
Tendo clan to join the two schools." Ami's interest perked at the mention of  
school.
>> 
>> "Schools?"
>> 
>> "Yeah the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryuu; the Tendo and Saotome schools of  
Indiscriminate Grappling. Though I don't much care for the name. I'm kinda  
partial to Any Thing Goes Martial Arts."
>> 
>> Ami quirked her brow at the name, but didn't say anything about it.
>> 
>> "So you're a martial artist?"
>> 
>> The question didn't phase him.
>> 
>> "Yeah." There was no blustering pride in his statement. It was just a fact.  
It's what and who he was.
>> 
>> "Is your fiancée a Martial Artist as well?" This question seemed to darken  
Ranma's mood.
>> 
>> "She thought so." Ranma turned his back to Ami, finishing up the rest of  
the buttons. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she  
instinctively stepped closer to the young man.
>> 
>> "Something happened." She didn't want to go here. This was his business.  
She didn't need to know the details.
>> 
>> "Yeah." His voice was quiet and taut with emotion. "One of my opponents."  
He sighed. It would all come out eventually. He needed to start talking  
about it; otherwise it was going to kill him.
>> 
>> "My opponent used her as leverage against me in a fight. I couldn't save  
her in time."
>> 
>> Ami gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Tears started to well up  
in her eyes, and she gingerly reached out a trembling hand that never quite  
reached Ranma's back.
>> 
>> "I...I'm so sorry." She stammered. Ranma shrugged and turned back to her.
>> 
>> "Don't worry about it." Ami couldn't meet his eyes. "Really. It's okay.  
I'm working through it." He tried to sound positive, but somehow he knew  
that his words had come out hollow.
>> 
>> Ami hugged herself. Here she was, a living reminder of everything that he  
had lost.how cruel. "I...should go." She said quietly.
>> 
>> Ranma gently took her arm as she passed, and somehow ended up holding her  
hand. Looking at her then, he knew that he didn't want her to leave. She  
filled something inside of him that had been dead for a very long time.  
When he looked at her, the pain didn't hurt so much either. He smiled  
warmly, causing the butterflies to return to Ami's stomach. His touch was  
so firm, and those eyes seemed to come alive again for an instant.
>> 
>> "It hurts." He reluctantly released her hand. "But not so much when you're  
around."
>> 
>> The libido threw up its collective hands and gave in. It had already lost  
this war...that much was certain. Ami blushed and awkwardly turned away.
>> 
>> "Friends?" Ranma's hand slid into her line of sight, causing her to look up  
at him.
>> 
>> "Friends." She said quietly, accepting his proffered hand.  

>> 
>> **************  
End Chapter Five  



	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

by Jeffrey Vasquez

**Disclaimer: **

The characters of Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon are the express property of their respective creators, or whoever is currently holding their leases. I don't own them, but I'm practicing for when I do! The rest belong to me.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Saotome Dojo**

_**Juuban**_

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO BE CALM AT A TIME LIKE THIS!"

Ami winced at the hysteria in her mother's voice and did her level best to crawl under the proverbial rock. The older women had retired to Auntie Nodoka's room to discuss the events in the kitchen, but, to Ami's shame, her mother wasn't doing much discussing. The young genius tried to smile apologetically across the table at her new friend, but Ranma seemed not to notice. He simply focused all of his attention on his meal, eating slowly and in silence.

Ami looked to Usagi and Makoto, hoping that they could help her ease the tension that hung in the air. Sadly, if not typically, Usagi's face was buried in her plate while Makoto sat stiff as a board and glared at Ranma. The fact that Ami had come into the room wearing Ranma's shirt didn't seem to earn him any points with the young brunette, either. Usagi had wiggled her eyebrows a great deal and hadn't stopped winking since Ami's return. She could honestly say that this was the most uncomfortable night she had ever experienced in her life.

It even beat out that New Year's party her mother had taken her to.

"I THOUGHT YOU MEANT THAT HE WAS A CROSSDRESSER!"

Ami's face burned with shame as Ranma's body stiffened slightly. His chopsticks hovered before his mouth for an extremely tense moment, and then slowly descended to rest beside his bowl.

"YOU SAID 'HE CHANGES INTO A GIRL'! HOW ELSE SHOULD I HAVE TAKEN IT?"

Ranma's whole body seemed to twitch, and then was still. The young woman chanced a glance at her friends, and noted idly that Usagi had stopped shoveling food into her mouth and was staring at Ranma with wide eyes. A little soba noodle dangled precariously off the blonde's cheek in the sudden silence at the table. Makoto's steely gaze could have drawn blood.

Ami heard Nodoka placating her mother before Ranma cleared his throat and sighed loudly. His face bore an expression of weary acceptance, much like a man being sent to the executioner's block. She could tell, just by the way that he shifted his body, that he had experienced this same, uncomfortable, moment countless times in the past.

"Spill it Saotome, what's going on?" Ami winced at the acid in Makoto's voice. "Are you some kind of pervert?"

"MAKOTO!" Ami had to fight the urge to slap her friend.

"What? It's a legitimate question!" the tall brunette countered.

"How can you say that?" Ami demanded. "And what gives you the right to question him like this in his own home?" She couldn't believe the anger that Makoto's attitude towards Ranma had generated.

"I've got every right! You didn't see Auntie weeping at the sight of a mother and her children every time that we went to the park!" Ranma visibly winced and bowed his head in shame but made no move to defend himself.

"Well, I think you're out of line!" Ami countered icily. "Ranma's personal life is none of our business."

Usagi winced as Makoto's voice took on an even more aggressive tone and volume.

"If he's going to hurt Auntie again, then I'm making it my business! She's suffered more than enough grief from this jerk, and I'll be damned if I let him hurt her any more!" Makoto's gaze slid back to Ranma, boring holes through him. "I can't believe that you're defending him!" Makoto's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Maybe because he's earned my trust!"

"Just because the guy pulls your fat out of the fire doesn't make him a saint, Ami! You don't know anything about this…this…perverted jackass!"

Something snapped in Ami, and before she knew what was happening her hand was streaking across the table. The logic centers of her mind coldly reported that this act was irredeemable, and that Makoto had been her friend a great deal longer than Ranma had. The more irrational parts of her brain cried out for blood.

Usagi bit her lip and watched in horror as Ami's intended slap rocketed towards Makoto's face. The shock and the sense of betrayal in the tall brunette's eyes left her no defense against the in coming blow. No one saw him move, but somehow Ranma caught Ami's wrist just before the blow landed. Usagi and Makoto simply stared at Ami as her wrist quivered weakly in Ranma's grasp with tears in her eyes. Usagi watched the tableau as it continued to unfold and couldn't help but feel shell-shocked. Makoto didn't seem any better off.

"You weren't there, Makoto! You don't know what they were going to do! To Usagi! You weren't there! They didn't touch…you." Ami voice trembled and her words died out in a whisper of shame. The fact that she was a Sailor Senshi made her feel even worse. She should have been able to protect Usagi better. Here she had all this power, and in a moment of truth, she had to be saved by someone else. She couldn't stop the tears, but felt comforted that Ranma had saved the day. Again.

Makoto had the grace to bow her head.

Ami started to say more but Ranma caught her gaze and quietly shook his head. His demeanor was so nonchalant, as if the war being fought over him was nothing new. He gently released Ami's hand and with a calm that Usagi envied, looked at each of them in turn. His steely blue gray eyes seemed to pass through each of them. Usagi felt like she was being weighed, and was more than happy when he moved on to Makoto.

Usagi bit her lip again as Ranma and Makoto stared each other down for a small eternity. Neither blinked nor moved, and Usagi found herself fidgeting anxiously. She stole a glance at Ami and found that her friend had bowed her head and refused to look up. It made for an extremely tense moment to say the least, and the instant that Usagi opened her mouth to break the silence she noticed Ranma smirk. It was a wry, haughty thing to behold, a look that she knew would push all the wrong buttons in Makoto. The girl hated to be challenged. Usagi was the first to admit that she wasn't the brightest of people, but the look Ranma leveled at Makoto clearly said that he had weighed her, measured her, and found her wanting. The line had been drawn in the sand, and Makoto looked more than ready to cross it. Usagi winced and started chewing on her napkin nervously.

Ranma's grin became maddeningly smug, setting Usagi's nerves further on edge.

She fully expected Makoto to reach across the table and deck him. What she hadn't expected was for Ranma to reach across the table and tweak the other girl's nose. Makoto squawked and tried batting his hand away, missing him entirely. Her follow through clipped a bowl of cold soup, sending it sprawling across the table towards Ranma.

"Ranma!" Ami launched herself at Ranma tackling him an instant too late. She collided with the young man, sending both of them to the floor in an untidy heap. The bowl bounced off the table, sending soup and vegetables food everywhere. Usagi and Makoto found themselves staring at Ami's rather damp back, and then at a shock of extremely red hair. Makoto's jaw dropped to the floor, and Usagi simply stared.

There was a moment of heavy silence as Usagi and Makoto took in the now female Ranma. His…er, her face was a cold mask of resignation, leaving Makoto gaping like a fish out of water. For Usagi, it had to be one of the coolest things she had ever seen.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The soup was cold and sticky, leaving Ami feeling greasy and very much in the need of a bath. She shifted, hoping beyond hope that she had succeeded - but knowing that she had failed miserably. The body beneath her felt both smaller and softer than Ranma's male guise. Ami was somewhat surprised at how vivid the memory of his body was - surprised and pleased at the same time. A deep sigh from beneath her caused Ami's face to blush red and forced her to awkwardly scramble off of Ranma-chan.

She looked to her friends and noted their blank, and somewhat vacant looks. While not totally out of place on Usagi, it was a bit funny to see Makoto caught flat-footed like this.

"It's a curse." Ranma's voice was resigned. The look that he leveled at Makoto was so detached, it was as if some vital part of her had died a long time ago. She casually poured hot tea in a cup and dumped it over her head. The change took hold and reverted her back to him in the blink of an eye. The cup was set aside and Ranma quietly stood. He cast his eyes down at Ami's ruined clothes and sighed tiredly. The shirt he didn't care so much about. He had more of those, but her skirt looked expensive.

"I'll fill the furo so you can get cleaned up. Mom might have something you can borrow, otherwise you'll have to borrow some more of mine." He gave her a tired smile and then disappeared into the back of the house.

Ami watched his back as he left the room and tried very hard not to think about wearing more of Ranma's clothing. It was hard enough to suppress the images of wearing his shirts to bed. Best to focus her attention elsewhere. Yes.

She turned her attention back to her hands as silence dropped over the room again. Usagi blinked once. She blinked twice. And she blinked three times. Makoto followed her lead. The quiet was unnerving to Ami, and yet she couldn't bring herself to break it. Things had happened so fast…too fast. She needed time to catch up and to process all that she had seen today.

"That was too cool," Usagi cooed. Makoto and Ami shared an incredulous look with their princess. "What? He's just like Seiya and Yaten! Ohhh, Ami-chan! Your new boyfriend's soooo cool!"

"Wha…What are you talking about, Usagi?" The young genius stammered. Her face felt extremely hot and flushed. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Suuure!" Usagi grinned slyly and winked at Makoto. The taller girl was staring at the spot that Ranma had been sitting, trying to replay the whole event. "What ever you say, Ami-chan."

"It's true, Usagi! We're just friends." Ami wasn't sure how she felt about that either.

"Friends with benefits! He's already letting you wear his clothes! You're such a fast mover!" Usagi teased.

"USAGI!" Ami protested.

"It's always the quiet ones, eh?" Usagi nudged Makoto in the ribs and wiggled her eyebrows.

"USAGI!"

"Just think Ami! He's probably the only guy on the planet that can truly understand what it means to be a woman!" Usagi giggled and hugged herself. "You guys can go shopping together and he wouldn't get bored!"

Ami rubbed her temples, trying massage away the headache that was building. She needed to calm down and get control back before she throttled someone. The dead look that she had seen in Ranma's eyes, combined with all of the stress that she had experienced in the last two days, was really starting to get to her. Makoto's attitude wasn't helping matters either.

"Usagi, please."

"And whenever you wanted to have girl-talk," Usagi lifted her empty bowl over her head. "Viola! Instant girl!"

"Usagi, please stop." The blonde chatterbox ignored her friend's quiet protests and elbowed Makoto in the ribs again.

"Just think, she has someone to share those 'embarrassing' trips to the store with, too!" The pair shared a giggle that set Ami's nerves aflame. The temperature in the room dropped a good twenty degrees as Ami's fists came down on the table with a boom.

"Would you please just SHUT UP!" Ami couldn't believe that she was leaning over the table and shouting at her princess. Twice in one night she had set aside previous loyalties and defended a man she barely knew. She couldn't understand why she was doing it, only that it felt right. "I can't believe you would joke about another person's pain like that!"

Usagi was so shocked at the sudden backbone that Ami had grown that she just stared at the girl. Makoto was silent as well; intent on the fact that she could see everyone's breath in the suddenly frigid air.

"How would you feel if you lost your womanhood to a curse?" The look of shame that formed on Usagi's face caused Ami to switch targets. The blonde haired girl was a master of deflecting someone's anger with those puppy dog eyes of hers, and Ami still had a great deal of anger to vent. She rounded on Makoto, who had the nerve to try and look innocent! Grrrr! It made her so mad!

"And you! Insulting him in his mother's home!"

"He deserves it!" Makoto renewed her defense.

"Why?" The icy calm in Ami's voice seemed to drop the temperature even more.

"…" Makoto's eyes darted back and forth, flustered at forgetting her reason for hating Ranma so readily. She wracked her brain looking for something, anything to counter Ami's accusations.

"Because he abandoned her!" Makoto felt proud that she had redeemed herself so quickly.

"We don't know that. Auntie always said that her husband took Ranma, not that Ranma left her," Ami countered. "Besides, he's back now. So what does it matter?"

"It matters to me!" Makoto's own fist slammed against the table, causing dishes to jump and clatter.

"So do something about it." Everyone froze at Ranma's voice. He casually leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Furo's ready for you when ever you want Ami-chan." The look that he leveled at Makoto wasn't friendly, nor was it hateful. It seemed more acquiescent than anything else. He paused only a moment before turning away again.

The gauntlet had been thrown at Makoto's feet, and she eagerly accepted. And it was all poor Ami could do to follow.

He had called her Ami-chan again! What did that mean?

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Somewhere near Nanking, China 

The trip from mainland China to Japan promised to be tedious and, strictly speaking, costly affair. Centuries old debts were called in and future favors promised, in order to expedite the crossing. Warnings were passed on to the appropriate people within the government through the limited channels in Nanking, but there was little doubt in Xian Pu's mind that they would be ignored. Surprisingly, Herb had proven himself to be just as resourceful in manipulating the situation to the advantage of the Musk, as Xian Pu's people.

He had taken a page from the Amazons and, by the end of their stay in Nanking, he had established a number of safe houses for his scattered people as well as come up with an effective plan to ferry the rest of his broken nation over to the Japanese islands. It would take some time to settle everyone but by and large, he had made it so that his people were no longer such a large and inviting target.

For a man, he had proven himself to be quite intelligent and forward thinking; and in the same breath, he had all but destroyed the stereotype associated with a member of the Musk nation. Against her better judgment, Xian Pu found herself spending more and more time with the displaced emperor.

While the two nations cared for the worst of their wounded, Herb and Xian Pu worked alongside the rest of the surviving elders to plan and prepare for the establishment of a more secure base in Japan. Provisions were bought, tribal treasures were pawned in order to generate more resources, and lines of communication were established.

Intelligence was gathered from a number of trusted resources, within the government and from without. These sketchy reports spoke of strange geological occurrences and a handful of unexplained disappearances throughout western and south central Asia. It was readily apparent that the demons were already moving to establish their dominance, and Xian Pu held little hope that the rest of China would be spared. It was really only a matter of time before the darkness devoured her homeland, and there was not a thing she could do to prevent its advance.

Japan was by no means safe from the reach of their enemy. Anyone stupid enough to think that deserved to die. It was, however, a relatively close staging ground from which to regroup and plan a counter assault. With that in mind she, and a boatload of refugees led by Herb and Xian Pu's recovering great grandmother, intended to sail from the river port of Chinkiang to Shanghai, and then on across the Yellow Sea to Nagasaki. A handful of her Sisters, and a few worthy Musk, would set up houses there, while the rest of the group moved on to Tokyo.

The advance cost to buy and lease safe houses had left both the Joketsuzoku and the Musk nearly destitute, but by the time Xian Pu and Herb's group finally reached Tokyo a solid foundation of safe houses would be laid for their peoples to make use of. All that remained for the ragtag group to accomplish was to setup a base of operations from which to coordinate the long-term campaign. Which was why Xian Pu found herself hunched over a small table in a poorly lit storeroom of an Amazon-owned restaurant, staring at a map and trying to decide where to go next.

Khu Lon sat not too far off, enjoying the relative quiet of her pipe. Five young Amazon girls hustled and bustled in and out of the room, gathering supplies for the kitchen, while the small Musk entourage did the same. The addition of so many attractive young bodies to the restaurant's staff went a long way to drawing a steady crowd. The young Amazon girls didn't enjoy the unwanted attention and roaming hands of the male clientele, but the money they made the ordeal endurable. Herb had the foresight to speak to his followers prior to sending them out in public, but there was little one could do to curb Lime or Mint…especially when they were enthusiastically being themselves. The threat of bodily harm could only do so much.

"They aren't so bad once you get used to them." Herb grimaced as another Amazon slapped Lime viciously on her way back to the kitchen.

Perhaps we can find them a prostitute. Xian Pu suggested disgustedly. Herb sighed and shook his head.

It didn't help the last time I tried it, so I see little point in wasting the money. Another cry of feminine outrage echoed somewhere beyond the kitchen and the sound of divine retribution honestly earned followed immediately after it. Xian Pu and the other Amazons smirked darkly as Mint staggered into the storeroom, clutching his groin.

You would think that they would learn. Xian Pu said.

I have long since given up on them. Herb admitted. He turned away from Xian Pu long enough to see Mint wobble up to and lay his head against the chest of another young woman. The beating he received was too terrible to describe, let alone watch for long.

How can they be so hopeless? Xian Pu's dark smile made the young emperor shiver visibly.

They're stupid, and you can't teach stupid people to be smart. Pepper commented from Herb's shadow. He seemed just as captivated by the tortuous beat down as Xian Pu.

_From the mouth of babes_.

Xian Pu ruffled the boy's hair and smiled at him. Herb wisely chose not to comment further on his retainers, shifting his attention back to the map.

So, when do you expect we'll leave? 

The first groups will leave tonight. 

The Musk leader simply nodded.

What then? 

We settle ourselves here. Xian Pu pointed to a section of map. We have a number of properties scattered throughout Tokyo. This one is central to them all. Once we're established, we'll send everyone else to these other properties. 

Herb tapped his chin for a moment, obviously trying to remember something.

Why did you decide to concentrate on buying so many properties in Japan? It seems kind of odd to spend so much money on such expensive real estate. 

Not all of the properties are new. Friends and families of the tribe left many of the properties to the Joketsuzoku when they died or moved on. There are many families that chose to live, or were asked to live, outside of the village. They currently own over half of the properties that we will be using. Much of the money that we have spent has gone to preparing for our arrival. Few if any of the properties the tribe owns were purchased outright. 

I assume that you have many such holdings throughout the world. Herb commented thoughtfully.

Xian Pu nodded, moving away from the map to sit near Khu Lon's padded bench.

Your people have truly prepared for the worst. Herb rolled his neck as he followed the Amazon princess. She noted more than a passing sense of self-castigation in his voice.

We've had to be. Survival has been a costly lesson to learn, but we learned it well. 

I didn't realize the Musk were such an intimidating adversary. Herb smirked darkly.

Don't flatter yourself. Khu Lon snorted. The Joketsuzoku have more enemies than just the Musk. The old dynasties, bandit lords, wizards…the list goes on and on. It wasn't until the Boxer Rebellion and the rise of the PRC, that we actively started sending people to settle in other nations. 

So, what now? Herb glanced at the abused form of Mint pulling himself into a corner.

We wait for night fall. Xian Pu gingerly examined her grandmother's wound. Once night falls, we'll make our way to the docks. 

Herb nodded and arched his back.

Then I'd best get some rest. He heard another scream followed immediately by another set of plates shattering on the kitchen floor. Something tells me that I'm going to need it. 

Xian Pu was unable to keep her eyes from following the young emperor as he settled himself into a meditative pose in a dark corner of the room.

You might want to invest in a camera, granddaughter. A photograph is a bit more discrete. 

Xian Pu blushed terribly.

I've no idea what you are talking about. 

Khu Lon puffed on her pipe, not bothering to hide her irreverent smile.

Of course not, Granddaughter. Of course not. 

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Somewhere in the Amazon Basin 

"WHERE IN THE HELL ARE WE NOW RYOUGA!"

Ryouga winced at the volume of Mousse's voice. Okay, so it had been a bad idea to take the left at Albuquerque. At least they weren't in the desert any more. That was a plus, right?

"STUPID PIG BOY!"

The Lost Boy made it a point not to turn around. The last time that he had, he'd gotten a nosebleed and a black eye from Phau Set. It wasn't his fault that she was sweating so much…nor was it his fault that silk had a tendency to cling. Okay so maybe it was partially his fault, but she didn't have to get so grumpy.

She didn't pound on Mousse when he looked at her. Probably because she knew that the idiot couldn't see anything without his glasses anyways.

"I don't know, I think it's kind of pretty."

Ryouga chanced a glance at Xi Fu, and had to hurriedly avert his gaze. Phau Set's older sister didn't seem to mind the fact that she was wearing a second skin at all; she was too entranced by the flora and fauna.

Ryouga didn't notice that his face had started to flush, but Phau Set did, earning him a vicious kick to the back of his calf. He growled and pushed forward through the foliage again, only to have Xi Fu grab his arm and move in front of him.

"I'll take point." She untied the lifeline from around her waist and motioned for Ryouga to do the same. He was thankful that he had something to occupy his attention. He didn't think that anyone would appreciate him passing out again.

"What is taking you so long?" Xi Fu gruffly stepped into his line of vision causing him to feel light headed. Why couldn't she wear underwear like everyone else? He tried to look away but everywhere he turned, she was there, tugging and pulling at the rope around his waist.

Ryouga whimpered and gripped his nose, and then everything went black.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Saotome Dojo, Juuban 

The dojo was cold. The night's chill had settled into the floorboards and made the whole building seem more like a tomb with the way that Ranma stood in the center of the room. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes downcast as Makoto stormed into the small training hall. Ami and Usagi did their best to keep up as their friend stormed into the room.

Makoto angrily stalked across the floor, intent on one thing and one thing only. Beating the Hell out the young man at the heart of the hall. She had made it half way across the floor when Ranma held up his hand, forcing Makoto to pull up short.

"Do you want something meaningful out of this, or are you just gonna pound me into the floor boards?" His voice was low, nearly a whisper.

"What're you getting at, Saotome?" Makoto growled. Ranma shrugged and lifted his head to face his opponent.

"I just want to be clear on what you're hoping to get out of this."

"The satisfaction of pounding your face in for all of Auntie's sleepless nights." Makoto growled.

Ranma nodded. "I can get behind that. Is that all you want?"

"You offering more?" Makoto smirked, hiding her shock at his words.

"Why go for the rice bowl when you can have the whole pot?" Ranma's grin held no mirth to Makoto's eyes. If anything it seemed to only intensify the boy's aloofness. "Make this something worth fighting for."

"What did you have in mind?"

The pig-tailed boy shrugged. "No time limit. First to knockout wins."

"What are the stakes?" Makoto asked, intrigued.

"You win, I leave. Ranma Saotome dies in this dojo never to return."

"That's insane!" Ami couldn't help herself. The thought of this whole confrontation was incredibly stupid. Usagi said nothing in light of chewing on her bottom lip and wringing her hands.

"And if you win?"

"Mako-chan!" Both Usagi and Ami couldn't believe their ears.

"I stay and you help me make Mom happy."

"That's it?" Makoto had expected something more.

Ranma shrugged causing Makoto to grin.

"So what's it going to be? You gonna drive me out or what?"

"Ranma-kun! You don't have to…" Ami started to walk towards him, but Ranma held up his hand as he had with Makoto. Ami was more than a bit put off that he never took his eyes off of his opponent.

"Pack your bags Saotome." The sometimes Senshi of Jupiter cracked her knuckles and popped her neck. The smell of ozone was thick in the heavy air.

Ranma tossed her a gi and pointed to the equipment closet.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

"This is asinine!" Ami grumbled under her breath as she moved back beside Usagi. The princess of the Moon Kingdom nodded her head and settled herself on the floor. Ami stared at Usagi in disbelief. "How can you just sit there?"

Usagi just pointed over to Ranma, doing nothing to hide the silly grin plastered on her face. Ami followed her trembling finger and nearly swallowed her tongue as Ranma peeled his soup stained shirt off of his back. The tee shirt followed quickly, causing both girls to slap their hands over their noses. Ami hardly recognized the fact that she was now sitting next to Usagi.

Ranma rolled his shoulders, causing both girls to whimper as his muscles rippled across his hard lined back. Ami tried to cover her eyes, but Usagi grabbed her hands and refused to let go.

It was a relief when Ranma slid into a gi top. It gave Ami a chance to get her hormones under control. She had almost succeeded in that monumental task when Ranma started stretching. Ami noticed Usagi pucker up to whistle and threw herself bodily into her future queen to forestall any further embarrassment.

"This is more than asinine!" Ami snarled. "This is insane!"

Usagi merely drooled and mumbled something about getting Mamoru to take up martial arts.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Somewhere in the Amazon 

Ryouga woke to the sound of Chinese - very angry and very colorful Chinese. His head hurt, and his body was strapped to something. He moved his head a little, which gave a whole new meaning to the word pain. Someone was fidgeting with the ropes binding him, and he could tell that Phau Set was rather upset with Mousse.

Okay, nothing new there.

Xi Fu was also mad, which in and of itself was nothing new either. But her reasons for being mad were.

Will you two shut up! You're going to wake him! 

She sounded like she almost cared….

So! It's because of that fool that we're lost! 

At least Phau Set was keeping to the status quo. Mousse, now that he was out of the direct line of fire, wisely decided to keep silent. Ryouga was glad that his blind friend had learned something from all the fighting in Nerima…or perhaps he had learned it earlier on. He supposed living in a matriarchal village would do that for a guy.

We're alive! Quit belly aching and be grateful! 

We are in the middle of a jungle! Phau Set viciously slapped her arm, killing a mosquito the size of a dragonfly. We have no food, no water, and no idea where in THE HELL WE ARE! The young Amazon's black hair seemed to stand on end for a moment as she screamed in her sister's face. WHY ON EARTH WOULD I BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT? 

Xi Fu calmly wiped the sweat and spittle from her face and, in an impressive display of speed, slapped her younger sister full across the face. Ryouga sat up immediately and reached for the sisters. He had no idea how to stop them, or if he even should bother to interfere. They had been wandering for three days, constantly looking over their shoulders for the expected attack that never came.

The sisters hadn't had proper time to mourn the loss of their village, nor had they had an easy time following Ryouga. It was one extreme after another with him – deserts in the morning and mountains in the afternoon. They all needed a rest. They all deserved a rest. The tearful, defiant looks on both of the Amazons faces broke his heart. The gulf between them continued to grow wider and wider by the moment.

Please, don't fight. Every eye turned to him, each displaying varying looks of unbelief. It took Phau Set a moment to shake herself out of her shock, but the disgusted mask that she had reserved especially for him was once again back in place.

Since when do you speak our tongue Lost Boy? Phau Set demanded.

Ryouga could only shrug.

Listen long enough and you tend to pick things up. He began picking leaves from his hair as he stood. I've always been good with languages. He grinned, showing his rather large canines. When you're on the road as much as I am, then you have to pick things up fast. 

Phau Set grumped and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder, causing one of her hair ornaments to fall out. As she bent to pick it up, a small, feathered dart lodged in the tree directly behind her. Xi Fu screamed and swept her sister's feet out from beneath her as more darts shot from every direction. A third volley shot forth, intent on taking the pair of women, but Mousse was there. Twin shields materialized from the depths of his robes to protect the women from the flight of darts. Mousse instantly knelt, covering them all in a giant metallic tortoise shell.

Only Ryouga was outside of the protective cover of Mousse's shields, but from what Xi Fu could see the Lost Boy didn't need the aid. The small darts either snagged in his clothing or simply bounced off his tough hide.

How many do you count? Mousse asked as more and more darts bounced off his shields. Xi Fu chanced a glance and narrowly evaded yet another retaliation from the undergrowth. She tapped his right leg four times and his left five. The area became suddenly very quiet, followed by a massive explosion.

"BAKSAI TENKETSU!"

The ground seemed to roll beneath them, tossing the Amazon trio into the air. Xi Fu and Phau Set suddenly found Mousse's shields pressed firmly into their hands and their weightlessness soon turned into a tight roll as gravity reasserted itself.

Phau Set was the first to land, shield poised to her right. Xi Fu landed at her back, guarding her left, and Mousse landed between the two, forming a three-pointed star. A tree groaned and then toppled, followed by another, and another, and another. Phau Set tracked Ryouga, finding him easily, poised in the center of a twenty foot crater. She had seen the results of the Breaking Point training before, but the level to which the Lost Boy had perfected it was nothing short of amazing.

Silence fell over their little glade as the dust settled, leaving each of them charged for the next attack. The eerie quiet drew itself out. Phau Set twitched nervously, earning the young warrior a growl from her sister. Mousse hissed at both of them, and then exploded in a flurry of flying blades and rushing chains. The pattern seemed so random to Phau Set, but from the sudden cries of surprise, she knew that the weapons had found their marks.

Another volley of darts was directed towards the blind martial artist, only to be deflected by a giant metal warfan that he produced from thin air. A second flight came from directly above them, and then from ground level. It seemed as if it was suddenly raining tiny arrows.

The young Amazon knew that the deadly storm couldn't last forever at this rate of fire. Phau Set grimly set herself for the charge that she knew would soon follow and chanced a glance over her shoulder at Mousse and her sister. Xi Fu was fingering a sword that Mousse was passing her. Her eyes danced from the canopy to the underbrush in an attempt to take everything in at once. She looked proud and deadly, just like their mother had the night of the demon raid.

Ryouga slowly backed himself next to Xi Fu, absently picking the darts from his heavy cotton shirt. His mouth formed a grim line that seemed cut from granite. His hands gripped his umbrella so tightly that Phau set could hear the tendons popping over his finger bones. The Lost Boy was a volcano waiting to erupt at a moment's notice.

Mousse was another story entirely. He was serene…almost placid as he silently slid a wicked looking scimitar from his sleeve. He seemed so focused, so stoic – just as he had right before he left on his quest for Shampoo's hand. Phau Set nearly spat at the thought of the brazen whore. She would have, had Mousse's hand not suddenly grasped hers. She was surprised to note how cool it felt against her flushed skin. Even more shocking was the weight of the scimitar that the blind boy wrapped her hand around.

The thing weighed next to nothing at all!

She scrambled to keep her grip on the hilt as it started to slide from her sweaty palm. It was all the opening that the enemy needed. The jungle soon exploded with bodies set on overwhelming the quartet.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ryouga pounded another tan skinned man into the ground, sending leaves and twigs everywhere. Twenty-five men, at last count, had set upon them. Fourteen had been put down so far, counting the gasping man at his feet. Ryouga lifted his head to take in the nine remaining men and growled. His arms tingled and his eyes saw nothing but red.

Xi Fu was at his back, her left arm hanging uselessly at her side. She had somehow tied herself to him during a rather heated part of the fight, and the rope at their waists was the only thing keeping him from rushing off to wipe the smug looks from the faces of their attackers.

He was so tired of being attacked. He was tired of wandering! He was tired of people getting hurt around him! He wanted it to stop! He wanted nothing more than to settle down and be at peace! To make his point, he kicked the tanned man at his feet back to his fellows and growled some more.

The guerrilla tactics of these silly little men were starting to wear thin on him. It reminded him too much of the way that Ranma fought. In and out, probing for weaknesses and then dancing away again just out of reach. It was so cowardly.

The men began to slowly encircle the warriors, raising their bows and spears, intent on finishing Ryouga and his friends off. The young martial artist felt trapped, like some boar at the end of a long chase.

The frustration at their plight frayed his nerves. He was lost, and these bastards had hurt Xi Fu. He was tired of feeling helpless! He couldn't do anything to save Akane, but damnit! He wasn't going to fail anyone again! He had no idea who these people were, or why they were attacking, but he was sure as Hell going to make them regret it.

His forehead felt hot and began to itch. In fact, heat seemed to be rolling off of him in waves. His body felt like a furnace, and he needed to find release for all the pent up anger that was continuing to build in him.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Xi Fu adjusted her shield for the fifth time in what seemed forever. The heat of this accursed place was making it next to impossible to keep a good grip on the shield. She could feel Ryouga's muscles tense at her back again, and was glad that she had taken the time to tie herself to him. Like it or not, he was their best chance of returning to civilization. The last thing that she needed was for him to blindly dash into battle to get lost or killed.

She was surprised to feel a palpable heat begin to roll off of him. She was even more surprised at the ghostly red glow that seemed to drift around her. Vaporous flames danced at her feet, causing her to glance back at Ryouga. What she saw made her gape.

His entire body was wreathed in crimson fire. More startling still was the sigil etched in white fire on his forehead.

The heart shaped arrow seemed vaguely familiar to the Amazon, but she had little time to ponder its significance as something more amazing happened. Everywhere she looked, the men dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Saotome Dojo 

Makoto exited the closet and saw Ranma stretching out and warming up. She quickly followed suit. When Ranma stood a few moments later, she rushed to stand with him.

"Don't rush it." His voice was terribly calm. So much so that it grated on Makoto's nerves. "No need to cramp up in the middle of something so important."

"Don't do me any favors." The smell of ozone increased, and the air in the dojo started to feel very heavy.

Ranma shrugged and positioned himself opposite Makoto with his eyes closed.

Makoto snorted and went back to her stretching. She was going to shove that superior attitude right up his…what the?

Ami caught Makoto's attention as she struggled to keep her hand over Usagi's mouth. Soon the pair began slapping each other's hands in a childish frenzy. She wanted nothing more than to yell at the pair, but something stopped her. She had never seen Ami this animated before, and the last thing that she wanted to do was clip the bud that was blooming. No. She would just have to focus on digging up weeds instead.

She turned her attention back to warming up. She found her anger and began focusing it; building a temple of rage and housing all of her disappointment within. It was a familiar routine that came with practiced ease. The injustice of her parents leaving her an orphan became the foundation. Losing Taro's friendship to Hikaru became the first column. People like Beryl constantly ruining any chance of a normal life for her became the second. The bastard Yoshihiro stealing her innocence became the third. And finally she set the last pillar. In many ways it was the one that hurt the most for the promise that it had held.

_Damn you Ranma!_ She cursed him silently. _Damn you for hurting her! And damn you for stealing her love away from me!_

Makoto finally stood and settled into a solid ready stance. Her rage danced along her arms in the form of tiny blue arcs of lightning. She stared at her opponent and allowed ten years of unfocused hatred to fill her.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ranma stood motionless, ignoring the electricity dancing along Makoto's arms. He had seen too much of the world to be impressed by a little light show. He casually tilted his head and beckoned his opponent forward. He wasn't surprised in the least that she eagerly accepted his invitation.

He had to force himself to remain still as Makoto's first strike, a powerful right cross, took him square in the jaw. He accepted the jolt that her punch sent through his system and set himself to receive the follow up left hook that was even now rocketing toward his face. There was little pain in the blow. Truth was, he barely felt it. If it hadn't been for the electricity, he would have started laughing, but that wasn't part of the plan.

He had hurt both his mother and this girl. It took little guesswork to realize that this young woman was the girl his mom had told him about. If it hadn't been for him, Makoto would have found a family and some measure of happiness. Instead, she had been set aside for the memory of a boy that had abandoned her. He would just take what ever she would dish out and let her find what measure of peace she could by using him as a punching bag.

All he had to do was remain conscious throughout the ordeal. Piece of cake. He grinned arrogantly at Makoto as she danced back out of reach.

"Is that the best you've got?" He rolled his eyes. "I thought you wanted ta win." He watched, grinning, as the lightning coursing over his opponent's body grew more pronounced and frequent.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The Amazon 

Ryouga blinked and looked back at Xi Fu in bewilderment. His rage slowly gave way to confusion as the men refused to stand up and fight. She returned his questioning look with a tired shrug that caused her to wince.

What did you do? Mousse hissed from his left.

How the Hell should I know! Ryouga growled. One minute they're out for blood and the next everybody's praying! 

Xi Fu opened her mouth to question Ryouga about the symbol on his forehead when a slender Japanese boy stepped out from the shadows of a rather large tree. His hair was pulled back into a wild ponytail, and he had the largest nose that Xi Fu had ever seen. Strangely, it seemed more fitting than out of place on the teen.

"You're late, Hibiki." The four warriors settled immediately into loose stances, but the young man ignored them. "I'd almost given up on you. You should have been here two days ago."

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Ryouga demanded. "What do you want with us?"

The boy just shook his head and turned away.

"No time for questions, Hibiki. We got to get moving."

"We're not going anywhere until we get some answers!" Ryouga growled and folded his arms over his blocky chest.

"Stubborn as ever, and twice as stupid."

Ryouga growled and clenched his fists, but the young man simply started to walk away.

"Fine, hang out here if you want. I got a schedule to keep. You want answers, then talk and walk at the same time." The boy made it a point to look at the sky for a moment before starting to walk again. "We've got a long way to go, and no time to waste."

Ryouga felt something jab him in the ribs and looked down into Xi Fu's verdant green eyes. She nudged him again with her finger, and when he didn't take her hint, she flat out pushed him in the direction that the boy was walking.

One way or another, she wasn't about to let this opportunity pass them by. No matter how much it made her skin crawl.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Saotome Dojo 

Both Ami and Usagi were amazed, to say the least. They had never seen any of the Senshi manifest their powers while still in their "civies." It was enough to give both of them goose bumps.

What concerned them more was the way that Ranma was just letting Makoto pummel him. He took hit after grueling hit, never lifting a finger to defend himself. He taunted Makoto, feeding into her angry frenzy and she reciprocated by increasing the ferocity of her strikes.

A kick to the groin and a rabbit punch to Ranma's kidneys caused Ami to nearly come unglued. Both combatants ignored her sudden outburst. Usagi grimaced but surprisingly held her peace. The young man didn't fall as expected, though. He merely shrugged off the blow and tossed Makoto another mocking reply that upped the ante. A brutal crescent kick drew first blood, and Ranma still refused to lift a hand to defend himself or retaliate. He opened himself to every blow, accepting Makoto's rage and embracing her hatred. This seemed to only infuriate Makoto all the more.

"Why is he just letting her beat him up, Ami-chan?" Both winced as Makoto loosed a staggering three hit combo that Ranma refused to acknowledge. "Why doesn't he block or something?" Ami didn't know how to answer her friend, so she just remained silent. Whatever the reason, she was certain of one thing; the whole affair was ludicrous.

Strike after strike fell, and still Ranma stood. His bruises and cuts had started to stockpile, and he was starting to grunt more and more whenever Makoto hit a particularly tender spot. No one had kept track of the time, but to Ami it seemed forever. The longer that the conflict drew itself out, the more that she thought that she understood Ranma's motivation. Still, the fact that it had to be the most vulgar spectacle she had ever seen was really starting to wear on her.

"I'm stopping this," she hissed as another knee found its way to Ranma's groin. She started to stand, but Usagi's grip on her arm was like iron.

"Usagi, let go." Ami started to peel the other girl's fingers off of her, but Usagi refused to ease her grip. When Ami looked at Usagi's face, she saw helpless pain and fear etched into her friend's features. More shocking still was the blazing crescent on her forehead.

"Don't leave me, Ami-chan." She sounded so pitiful. "They're both hurting so much, and he's so empty." Usagi's eyes narrowed, sending tears cascading down her cheeks. "He's half dead inside, Ami-chan, he doesn't care what happens to him. I'm afraid. What are we going to do?"

Ami looked back at the fight disgustedly.

"Go get my mother and Auntie. I'll see what I can do to stop this."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Makoto poured more power into each punch and kick she threw. The electricity had long since disappeared, but Ranma noted that she had simply channeled the energy into each move she sent at him. He felt his right eye finally swelling shut, and at some point he had bitten the inside of his lip. The blood filled his mouth with a coppery tang that made him want to spit.

He was impressed with the girl's stamina. With a little training, she might have been able to stand toe to toe with Shampoo. She had power to boot; maybe not as much as Shampoo and Ryouga, but it was still respectable. The biggest draw back that she had was her anger. He didn't understand what it was with women and their violent anger.

"FALL, DAMN YOU!" Her voice was hoarse and her knuckles were bloody. She had cut them on her fifth strike to his hard head. Her foot smashed into his ribs for the twenty -fifth time, followed up by a snap kick to his gut that drove the air from Ranma's lungs. Ranma wobbled for a moment, but retained his feet.

"FALL!"

Ranma grinned up at her and, with supreme effort, forced himself to wink at Makoto. Her already bloody fist smashed into his face again with a loud crack. Blood fountained from Ranma's broken nose, sending him staggering backwards. His eyes teared up involuntarily, and he scrambled to reset his wobbly legs for the follow through that he could feel coming. Makoto didn't disappoint him. Her heel hit him right behind the ear with more power than she had shown throughout the entire fight, causing the room to tilt wickedly. Stars danced in his vision as he fought to remain up right.

Maybe he had been wrong about the power thing. That had felt like a Ryouga kick. No, it had more behind it than Ryouga had ever put in his kicks. It was closer to Taro or Herb.

Damn, but that had been a good kick! When was she going to get tired of this crap? He didn't want to have to move against her, but there was little doubt that he was running out of steam. A few more hits like that, and Ranma was going to be out like a light!

She was screaming at him again. Something about it not being fair. He couldn't tell for sure 'cause his ears were ringing something wicked.

He looked at her and grinned again. The electricity was back now, with a vengeance. It was arcing off of her body dangerously in fat lazy tendrils, only to be pulled back before it could ground itself. Ranma also noted that her forehead was glowing with some weird symbol.

Creepy.

"WHY WON'T YOU FALL?" Electricity arced off of Makoto's body and lanced into Ranma's chest blowing him back into the east wall. Thunder boomed throughout the dojo, rocking the building on its foundations.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ami had absolutely no idea what to do. She had seen Makoto angry before, but this was the closest she had seen the girl come to completely losing it. The fact that she was openly manifesting her abilities was something of a concern. There was no way that Ami could get between the two – not without risking serious injury. She was starting to get desperate. What was taking Usagi so long?

"FALL, DAMN YOU!" Makoto's voice was hoarse and her knuckles were bruised and bloody. Ami watched another kick smash into her new friend's ribs for the twenty-fifth time, followed up by a snap kick to his gut that drove the air from Ranma's lungs. Ami's breath caught in her throat sympathetically. Ranma wobbled for a moment but retained his feet.

_Good boy. Show her what you're made of!_ Ami silently cheered.

"FALL!"

Ami smirked at Makoto's frustration. Served her right. When this was over she was going to give Makoto a piece of her mind! Ranma grinned up at his opponent and with a supreme effort, forced himself to wink at Makoto. Ami's heart leapt in her chest, knowing that Makoto wasn't going to take that well.

Makoto's bloody fist proved Ami right as it smashed into the young man's face with a loud crack. Blood fountained from Ranma's broken nose, sending him staggering backwards. Ami screamed foul, but again was ignored. He teetered precariously for a moment, and then scrambled to reset his wobbly legs for the follow through that Makoto was already committed to. Her heel hit him right behind the ear with more power than she had shown throughout the entire fight.

Ami screamed as Ranma absorbed the punishment.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Makoto screamed. "YOU ABANDONED HER, YOU STUPID PRIG! WHY SHOULD SHE LOVE YOU MORE THAN ME?" Ami's heart nearly broke at Mokoto's words as sudden realization hit home. Ami knew that Makoto had been in an orphanage, and she knew that Auntie had worked at an orphanage…all the pieces fell into place then.

No wonder Makoto was so worked up. Years of loneliness and pent up rage were finally finding a voice. And poor, sweet, imbecilic Ranma was weathering the storm. Ami felt tears gathering in her eyes as the boy yet again found his feet. Ami had to stop this before Makoto did something she regretted. It was a wonder that Ranma could stand, considering the level of power that Makoto was displaying. She maneuvered herself behind Makoto, hoping to restrain her friend. She was only a few steps from the girl when she saw her mother and Auntie enter with Usagi close on their heels.

Ami started forward, but immediately stopped when Nodoka violently shook her head and motioned her to join them. Ami complied, but under extreme duress. Yuriko gave Ranma's mother a serious look and whispered something in Nodoka's ear. Auntie simply frowned and shook her head again, which made Ami's mom really pissed off. Ami had never been on the receiving end of the Look of Death, but she had seen it employed a number of times. Nodoka, her attention completely locked on the fight before her, seemed totally immune to the scathing look that Yurkio was giving her.

Ranma shuffled his feet, drawing Ami's eyes back to the fight. He looked at his opponent and grinned madly at Makoto again. There was something almost manic about the look - something careless and supremely confident. How he could muster the energy to continue to defy Makoto was a mystery to Ami. It literally sparked off Makoto's rage even further. Lightning was arcing off of her body dangerously, only to be pulled back before it could ground itself in the surrounding dojo. Yuriko's eyes nearly popped out of her skull right then and there. Ami had no idea how she was going to explain this away.

Luckily, Ami's mom couldn't see the sign of Jupiter that had suddenly blazed to life on the girl's her forehead.

"WHY WON"T YOU FALL?" Electricity arced off of Makoto's body and lanced into Ranma's chest, blowing him back into the east wall. Thunder boomed throughout the dojo, rocking the building on its foundations. The stout wood cracked beneath the impact, but amazingly Ranma just bounced off the walls and landed on his feet in an unsteady ready stance.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Tears rolled down Makoto's cheeks as she watched him solidify his defense. She had thrown everything that she could think of at the boy, and even tossed some unexpected things his way. But he soaked up the damage like a sponge.

She was tired and her chest was heaving from her exertion. Her arms were on fire, and the way that the light was pulsing with her heartbeat, she knew that she needed a breather. Ranma stood three paces away from her, broken, bloody and waiting. She had expected him to give her that damn smirk of his, but instead he was smiling tenderly at her. She wasn't sure which pissed her off more, his sarcasm or his pity.

It wasn't fair. He was supposed to be unconscious by now. She was supposed to have won. But he wouldn't fall down.

Why wouldn't he fall down?

She closed her eyes for a moment to focus her thoughts. When she opened them, she let out a squawk at Ranma's bruised and grinning face was suddenly inches away from hers. She tried to backpedal, hoping to put some distance between them. Ranma simply stepped in time with her, grinning even more. He finally had her backed into a corner, with no place left to retreat, and his grin turned soft.

"Sorry 'bout this." The regret in his voice was confusing, to say the least. Her mind slowly tracked his finger as he raised it, then held it poised just in front of her eyes, and everything went black.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ami was shocked as Ranma silently ended the battle. One moment he was being pummeled, the next he had gone on the offensive. And he hadn't even lifted a finger to do it. He backed Makoto into a corner, and the next thing that everyone knew Makoto simply sagged to the floor. Yuriko ran over and immediately checked Makoto up and down. There wasn't a mark on her!

"How?" Ami's mother wasn't surprised, just curious.

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Nerve strike at the base of the neck. Give 'er a few an' she'll be fine." Yuriko blinked and self-consciously rubbed the back of her neck. Ami and Usagi followed suit.

"You look like Hell." Yuriko's voice was playful, but backed by disapproval. She turned her attention back to Nodoka who was tenderly brushing Makoto's sweaty bangs out of the girl's face. "Are all Saotome men this stupid?"

"MOTHER!" Ami felt scandalized.

Ranma chuckled and shook his head; an act that readily went down as something really stupid to do after repeated head injuries. He started to swoon, but Ami was there to support him. Yuriko immediately grabbed his other arm and led the boy to the wall.

"Sit."

"Yes ma'am." Ranma's smirk was as infectious as it was insufferable.

"Cute and stupid. Perfect combination in a man." Mizuno-sensei grumbled under her breath. She looked at Ranma and shook her head. "Okay, maybe not so cute anymore.…" Ranma's grin became more irreverent as Yuriko waved a finger in front of his eyes. "Something funny you'd like to share, Mr. Saotome?"

"Bet you dinner at a restaurant of your choosing that I'm back to normal in three days."

"Why Ranma! How forward of you!" Yuriko looked ponderously between Ami and Ranma, and then grinned at the resulting blush that erupted on their faces. It was hard to keep the giggles at bay. "I'm flattered."

Ranma started to splutter and wave his hands frantically in front of his face. Yuriko cast a sidelong glance at her daughter, and noted how rigid Ami had become. How best to play this out? She had seen more tonight than her rather modern mind could handle, and yet her beautiful if not bookish daughter was taking it in stride. This was definitely a positive thing, especially considering the conversation that Yuriko and Nodoka had been having previous to Usagi-chan interrupting.

There was no question in her mind that Ranma-kun could break through Ami's shell. He had been doing that long before Yuriko had even thought of interf…er, getting involved. The question wasn't a matter of chemistry, but tolerance. From what No-chan had described, Ranma-kun was a trouble magnet with a capital "T". Did she want her daughter to become involved with such weirdness?

If it would get her out of the library on Sundays and help her spread her wings a bit…it could be a good thing. Plus it would give Yuriko a chance to study Ranma's curse up close – and to toss in a little good-natured teasing while she was at it!

The boy needed to loosen up as much as her daughter did!

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ami was getting fairly concerned with the obsessive look that was growing on her mother's face. It seemed Ranma was as well, from the way that he had just shivered. Both teens jumped when Yuriko scooped up Ranma's hands and held them to her breasts, right over her heart.

"DEAL!"

Ranma's good eye widened in fear at where his hand had become trapped against Mizuno-sensei's impressive chest; he whimpered and struggled weakly to pull his hand away before someone hit him. It had always happened before. And the way that Ami had started glowing was a good indication that something terrible was about to happen. When the temperature in the dojo started to drop, Ranma increased his lame attempts.

"Ranma-kun!" Mizuno-sensei whispered seductively. "I tremble in anticipation." And she was…trembling at least. Whether from the sudden drop in temperature, or shudder anticipation, Ranma didn't want to know.

All he wanted at that moment was to cry as his breath started coming out in little white puffs. The analytical part of his mind was impressed that Ami-chan had such an instinctive handle on the Soul of Ice technique. Survival instincts honed over years of being around volatile women were screaming for him to run and never look back.

"…mother…" Ami's voice came out in a low, growling whisper that made Ranma whimper even more. He wasn't sure that he could survive another beating on top of the one that Makoto had given him. Sure, he was the best, but even the best had their limits!

"Yes Ami-chan?" Yuriko winked at Ranma and licked her lips. He had seen that look on more than one woman's face to know that he might as well just pass out now and hope for the best. So, in light of the situation, he did just that.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ryouga and his companions followed the man through the steamy jungle underbrush with surprising little difficulty. The hot afternoon sun heated the rain forest to such extreme temperatures that when it rained neither Mousse nor Ryouga had to worry about changing. They had been walking for what seemed hours before the strange Japanese boy pulled up short and held his hand out for everyone to stop in front of a cliff overgrown with plants and ferns.

"Why we stop?" Phau Set demanded.

The boy in question ignored her as he began searching the cliff face. The young Amazon became extremely unhappy. Too many males in the outside world didn't know how to show proper respect to a woman, and it was really starting to piss her off.

Fine. If they wanted to play hardball, she would play hardball.

"Hey! Big Nose! Why we stop?" She tossed her hair and folded her arms beneath her breasts in an "I-really-mean-business" pose that had worked wonders on their father.

"Stow it Phau Set," Xi Fu was tired and hungry, which was never a good combination for the elder sister. "…before you get us into trouble."

"ME! I no is stupid one! I no lead us into jungle!"

"No. You're the one that's been complaining every fifth step of this miserable journey." Mousse began rubbing his temples, only to be flattened by a large blunt stone to his head.

"Phau Set is too, too sorry she fell in love with stupid Mousse!" Everyone paused at her admission and stared at her. Everyone save Mousse, that was. The young man in question was little more than an unconscious rag doll at Phau Set's feet at the moment.

The young Amazon crossed her arms beneath her breasts again and stared challengingly at her companions.

"What?"

The Japanese boy shook his head and turned back to the cliff wall, while Xi Fu and Ryouga tried to find something to distract themselves.

It took their guide ten minutes to finally discover what he had been looking for; or rather, finish whatever he had been doing at the wall. Xi Fu and Ryouga had both noticed that the boy had been moving things from one part of the wall to another the entire time. At one point, Xi Fu had caught a glimpse of the carved surface of the cliff, noting with some interest the many glyphs and sigils.

When the boy had completed his task, he stepped away from the cliff. There was a pregnant pause, and then the ground began to tremble. Ryouga was on his feet in an instant with Xi Fu swiftly joining him. Mousse was groggily roused from his Amazon induced slumber and squinted at the parting wall. Phau Set had drawn the scimitar that Mousse had given her from her sash and held it ready.

Light poured out from behind the wall, blinding all save for the young Japanese boy. The smell of dust and moist earth filled their noses and caused each to fall into a fit of coughing.

Xi Fu drew her sword and tried to position herself so that her bad arm wasn't presented to whatever lay beyond the wall. She noted with some annoyance (and pleasure) that Ryouga immediately took a shielding position in front of her. What they saw beyond the wall gave each pause, and confused the hell out of them.

Men and women of all ages, dressed in exquisite costumes, stood before the quintet. There were no weapons among the group save for a magnificent staff held in the gnarled hands of the oldest man that any of them had ever seen.

Phau Set maneuvered herself closer to her sister and cursed under her breath. He's even older than Elder Khu Lon! The comment earned her a wicked punch to the shoulder from her sister.

The old man in question smiled behind his white beard, causing his tan, wrinkled face to become a mass of folds and creases. He was bent over the staff, as if the weight of years was trying to pull him into the grave. He scanned the small group with his one good eye and chuckled.

Do not punish your sister so harshly for speaking the truth Xi Fu, Daughter of Joketsuzoku. The band of warriors all stiffened at the man speaking the mother tongue of the Amazons. Such plain truth is refreshing to hear in this day of platitudes. 

We…we mean no offense honored Elder. Xi Fu hastily bowed and stomped on her sister's foot when the other girl simply stood and gaped at the ancient man. Mousse grumbled in the background about violent women as he regained his feet.

None is taken. His toothless grin was warm, but very disturbing. Xi Fu was grateful when the man turned his one-eyed gaze on Ryouga and Mousse. The two men stood tall in the face of the Elder.

Well, well, well. The old man shuffled forward, using his carved staff to support his weight. Two children moved with him until the trio came to stand before the pair of young warriors. Serenity, take me to my rest! Kawasemi! What bright souls you've brought to Aumemnon this day! 

The old man cackled heartily and shook his head.

I had never thought to see the day when Ozmandius Cain and Themus would grace my door again! He slapped both young men on their arms and grinned his toothless grin. The Nomad of Mars and Pluto's Seer! Who would have thought that she would send you forward? I thought that she hated you two! 

"The Veil is heavy over their eyes, Odan." Ryouga and Mousse looked at their young guide questioningly, wondering what was going on. The fact that he wasn't speaking Japanese any longer never entered their minds. "They are here to be awakened, and to return the Kinzuisho to its rightful bearer."

"So, Endmiyon has awakened?" The old man's demeanor changed immediately from joyful to serious.

Kawasemi nodded his head and folded his arms. "He has, as will another."

This caused a murmur to ripple through the crowd behind the old man. He looked at Kawasemi for a very long time, and seeing to the heart of the Japanese boy's words he began to weep.

"Hope has returned to the world at last!"

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Juuban 

Ami and her mother walked home in frigid silence, something completely foreign to Yuriko. Since being abandoned by the man in their lives, the Mizuno girls had been the team supreme. But tonight, Yuriko knew that she had gone a little too far. It had only taken her twenty-seven blocks to realize her mistake, but given the rather peculiar night that she had experienced, she felt justified in being off her game.

"I goofed, didn't I?" It was a humble admission, one that brought Ami up short.

Yuriko, in all her time living with her daughter, had never seen Ami angry. A little miffed, mildly put off, remotely peeved – sure. But well and truly pissed off had never happened before. Neither had the doctor ever been on the receiving end of "The Look of Death." She noted that it was really scary; really…really…scary.

"How could you Mother?" Ami's voice was covered in ice. "You were practically throwing yourself at him!"

Yuriko tried to shrug off her daughter's glacial anger by laughing. It didn't work as well as she had hoped, but at the very least she felt a little better. "Let me get this straight. You're mad at me for flirting with your knight in shining armor?"

Ami huffed and started stomping down the street again.

"I'm right!" Yuriko crowed triumphantly as she hurried to catch up with her daughter. "You're jealous cause Mommy was making moves on your man!"

Ami rounded on her mother furiously. "H...He…He's not my man!"

"No?" Ami's mother raised an eyebrow at the girl's flustered denial. Even to the young girl's ears the protest sounded lame, but she wasn't about to let her mother off the hook.

"No." She said flatly. "He's his own man."

"Then why are you so mad?"

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have your mother practically sitting in a boy's lap, a boy that's your own age, no less? I can handle you being cooler than me, I can understand your fashion sense, I can even get behind the idea of you dating a younger man." Ami leveled a finger at her mother pointedly. "A man, mother, not a boy!"

She spun on her heel and stalked off towards home again. Yuriko caught up to her and kept pace, allowing the silence to linger.

"He was brutalized and obviously in a lot of pain," Ami accused.

"Something that I helped him forget for a time," Yuriko countered.

"You scared him to death!"

"Last I checked he was still breathing fine, dear."

"That's not the point!"

"So what is the point Ami-chan?"

"You need to be more responsible! You're a doctor, for crying out loud!" Ami savagely kicked a loose rock, sending it careening down the sidewalk.

"So what? I know a lot of doctors that make me look like a saint."

"I bet that they don't go around trying to seduce minors," Ami said bitterly.

Yuriko turned her head towards the street. "You'd be surprised Ami-chan. You'd be surprised." Ami's head slowly turned to regard her mother. "You ever wondered why there are certain doctors at the hospital that I don't let you visit by yourself? Well now you know."

Ami was shocked by the revelation. Doctors were supposed to be the safest people in the world. They helped people. She was too shell shocked by her mother's admission to continue her jabs.

"I know when and when not to play Ami-chan. Ranma-kun's a good kid with a mountain of problems. I can't believe the kid hasn't cracked beneath the strain yet." Yuriko shrugged her shoulders. "He needs to lighten up before the pressure becomes too much for him to bear." She smirked and nudged Ami with her body. "Sounds like someone else I know."

"I have lots of fun!" Ami objected. Yuriko rolled her eyes. "I do!"

"You don't know what fun is." Yuriko fished around in her purse for a piece of wrapped candy and popped it into her mouth.

"I do too!" Ami was annoyed. "I'll have you know that I have fun all the time."

"Prove it."

"Well…." She had seen her mother laying the trap easily enough, but Ami had still walked headlong into it. She should have known better.

"Well?"

"Usagi and I went to the arcade just the other day!" Lame! Ami's inner child gave her the Red Eye and shook her head.

"Ooooh! The arcade!" Yuriko rolled her eyes and shook her head. She parried her daughter's weak defense and started maneuvering her toward the telling blow. "How old are you again?"

Ami gave her mother a flat look that said in no uncertain terms what she thought her mother could do with her sarcasm. Yuriko blithely moved in for the kill.

"So what games did you play?" Ami blanched and began to fidget nervously. It was a bad habit that she had fallen into as a child. As a result, Yuriko knew when Ami was telling the truth and lying.

"Lots." Oooh, she was wringing her hands now! Yuriko snorted, drawing Ami's attention away from her shoes. There was no denying the truth in the face of her mother's smug grin. "Okay! Okay. So, I watched Usagi-chan and Minako-chan playing. I still had fun."

"You don't know what fun is."

That grin was so infuriating! "And I suppose you have lots of suggestions?" Ami knew that this was a can of worms that she shouldn't be opening. Her mother proved her correct.

Yuriko gave her a look that had "Duh!" written all over it. "Of course I do! I am your mother after all! Now then, first…. Never mind, you're too prudish to even entertain the idea."

"Mother."

"Well, then there's…but wait, I'm too prudish to entertain the idea of you doing that."

"Mother!"

"Of course you could always…well, no. I don't think you swing that way." Yuriko paused thoughtfully.

"MOTHER!"

"What?" Yuriko's eyes lazily turned to regard her daughter.

"Must everything be sexual with you?"

Yuriko shrugged. "No. I suppose not. But, it is fun." Dr. Mizuno chuckled at her daughter's blush.

"I'll take your word on it for now."

Yuriko draped her arm around her daughter's shoulders and grinned. "You're right not to push it darling, regardless of what I say. Still, I do say that you need a kissing buddy."

Ami nudged her mother playfully with her hip.

"Stop while you're ahead, Mother."

"Must you call me 'Mother'?" Yuriko whined. "You make me feel so old!"

Ami giggled and rolled her eyes, mimicking her mother perfectly. "Heaven forbid that I remind you of your age, Mother." Yuriko poked her daughter in a particularly ticklish spot.

"Tread carefully daughter mine, lest you rouse my infernal wrath."

Ami batted her mother's hand away and the weekly Mizuno tickle war began in earnest. The battles lasted well into the night, until both had finally returned home exhausted and breathless. Yuriko fell on the couch, dragging her nearly grown up baby girl with her. They lay for sometime staring at the ceiling, trying to catch their breath.

"Forgive me?" Yuriko asked quietly as she stroked Ami's hair.

"Of course." Ami said drowsily. "Just try not to paw at the next cute boy we meet."

"Cute? I would say that Ranma was more of a 'ruggedly handsome paragon of masculine sexuality' myself."

"But he turns into a girl," Ami pointed out with a yawn. "He can't be a paragon of masculinity if he turns into a girl, can he?"

"Good point." Yuriko said ponderously. "How about we just say he's sexy then."

"That works." Ami yawned again and giggled.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Yuriko admitted, "because you're going to be my proxy whether I win or lose this bet with Ranma-kun."

Ami sat straight up and stared at her mother in shock.

"What? You thought that I'd actually go out on a date with such an admittedly cute young man? Ami-chan, I'm shocked! What would people say?"

Ami simply sat on the couch and worked her mouth like some drowning fish. Her mother kissed her forehead, and then lifted herself off the couch.

"Sleep well, Muffin."

Ami hadn't moved from her spot on the couch when her mother finally turned the lights out an hour later.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The room was dark and silent save for the deep, even breaths that whispered off to her right. Nodoka took great care in crossing the floor, and even more settling herself at the foot of the bed. For all the years that had passed, Nodoka had to admit that Makoto had grown into a beautiful young woman.

It was all that she could hope for and more.

More than once she had to remind herself that this wasn't a dream. By some heavenly providence, her ancestors had taken pity on her. It was the only explanation that she could come up with for being reunited with both Ranma and her little Ayame-chan.

Her house was full again - but more importantly, so was her heart. Nodoka stood and prepared to leave, chancing one last look back at the daughter she had given up for the sake of her son. She was surprised to see Makoto wide-awake and staring at her. Tears sparkled in the low light as they streamed down the young woman's cheeks.

"Are you alright Ayame-chan?" Makoto nodded, trying unsuccessfully to control her quivering lower lip. Nodoka floated back to the bed and settled herself next to Makoto. She was immediately enveloped in a fierce hug, one that she returned with vigor.

A pang of guilt stabbed her heart as Makoto's horse whisper drifted to her ears.

"…not a dream…not a dream…not a dream…"

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

End Chapter 6 


	8. Chapter 7

Progeny

By Jeffrey Vasquez

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Disclaimer: **

All characters and settings are used here without permission.

"Ranma 1/2" was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and is licensed to Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, Fuji TV, and Viz Communications Inc.

"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" (or "Sailor Moon") was created by Takeuchi Naoko, and is licensed to Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga, and DIC Entertainment, L.P.

All original characters belong to me. Please drop me a line if you want to use them.

**Foreword:**

Your patience is greatly appreciated. Before we get into the meat of things, I need to send out some special thanks to a bunch of nice people:

**First**: to Benjamin Lawton for reminding me that the Bayankalas are a mountain range in the Qinghai province, not a province unto themselves.

**Second**: to those of you that caught the shameful repeated scene with Herb and the other Chinese refugees – I don't know how it slipped by. I'm keeping track of everything that needs to be fixed, and will be addressing them after the story is complete. I can't afford to lose the momentum that's building.

**Third**: to those that have written with concerns about the similarities between Arun's _Destiny_ – I haven't had the privilege of reading Arun's work and considering the amount of mail that I get concerning the parallels, I don't think that I will be reading it until after _Progeny_ is complete. I'm afraid that I'll be influenced by what I see there and would rather write my own story. For those of you who are reading Arun's work, keep reading and give him lots of good feedback!

**Fourth** **and most importantly**: to all of you wonderful people that give me constructive criticism! Your thought provoking responses have gone a long way into helping me revise and refine my writing. I've seen an amazing amount of growth happen from the first draft of Progeny until now. Your loyalty and your patience are cherished.

So, without further ado…

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Progeny Chapter 7 

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ami stood on a long stretch of extremely familiar cobblestones. The tall, swaying stalks of summer wheat stretched around her like a golden sea. She remembered meeting him for the first time on this highway.

The Golden Road was a mismatch of carefully laid cobblestones that stretched from Emushep-Cairo to the Cities of Hyuai and Lish on the western coast of the continent. Rich farmland stretched as far as the eye could see, interrupted only sparsely by small clumps of trees and the occasional rising hillock. It spanned the continent from east to west, bridging three nations and three times as many city-states. It was the lifeblood of commerce in the north, and every time she had traveled it, the sky was a deep cerulean blue; that perfect color that one only finds at the cusp of summer. The clouds were just as thick and puffy as she had always encountered when walking the road, and they hung low against the horizon looking like patches of cotton drifting on the soothing breeze.

She remembered thinking it odd to have to battle beneath such an ideal summer sky.

The stink of blood and burning flesh stung her nose, making her eyes water. Lemurian soldiers lay along side their Kharturan enemies, in various states of death, up and down the road. Boarder skirmishes weren't unheard of, especially considering the fertile land in question. Onyx wanted all of the land she could take, but the Plains of Gim were foremost on her list of conquests.

Strategically, it was an obvious choice. The Golden Plains were the most fertile lands in the world, with the ability to feed millions. It was what made Khartur such a wealthy and respected nation. Every home in the Twelve Kingdoms ate Kharturan grain.

If Onyx could control the Plains, then she could openly shape the world economy as she saw fit. Feeding an army of unimaginable size and sending them along the Golden Road and into Emushep-Cairo was one of her father's most frequent nightmares. How many times had she come upon him pacing the halls of her home, knowing that he hadn't slept a wink? She'd lost count long ago. This common fear was what had solidified the alliance between Khartur and House of Mercury.

Today Onyx was testing that alliance to its fullest.

It was pure, dumb luck that Ami had been here at all. A last minute invitation from the Governess of Gim had her, and a small contingent of Kharturan elite, on the Golden Road. Were it not for them, The Holy City would have fallen so much sooner.

Auntie Rhafa's tea had once again saved the kingdom from imminent destruction; for a short time at least.

Explosions surrounded her suddenly causing the earth to roll and tremble beneath her feet. Each successive blast drew closer to her position, making it apparent that Onyx considered Ami a threat. If there weren't so many people trying to kill her at the moment, she might have felt flattered. Unfortunately, the rapid fire of automatic weapons drowned out any superfluous thoughts that surfaced in Ami's mind. All her focus was dedicated to dodging death's hand.

She sent forth one attack after another, decimating the Lemurian war machines with torrents of water and ice. Frozen spears, drawn from heaven, pinned the mechanized cavalry to the road, while deluge after deluge crushed columns of infantry beneath tons of water. The devastation of her magical assaults inspired the locals to come out of their holes and pick up the weapons of the dead and fallen, even though they were obviously outnumbered three to one. She didn't have to consult her tactical computer, to know that these long odds would overwhelm them sooner than later.

More of Mercury's power flooded her as a large, bipedal monstrosity lumbered out of the black smoke of a burning field. It towered over her by some thirty feet, and was armored from head to toe with Adonite, a Thrayan mineral that dampened magic fields. Its speed and maneuverability made it a deadly foe, especially for a Senshi.

Faced with something so formidable, Ami did the sensible thing.

She ran.

In every simulation that she had gone through in her training, this beast had killed her five times out of ten. The terrain, flat and open as it was, favored it over her as well, which made this situation even more hazardous. She fired her Shabron Spray in a wide blanket before the Senshi Killer, dropping the temperature well below zero as she ran. A thick icy blanket covered the road immediately, but to her dismay the lumbering beast did not fall. It slipped and slid for a moment, but only until large claw-like toes sprang from hidden compartments to grip the ground, keeping the vehicle up right.

Just her luck. Onyx was learning from her past mistakes.

She cursed and cast about for a secondary plan. Charred fields lay on either side of her. Every once in a while the burning carcass of a disemboweled transport would offer her desperately needed cover, but other than that she could find no weapon to use against the metal beast; unless of course she wanted to throw burnt wheat stalks at it. Ducking behind another burnt wreck, she took a moment to survey her surroundings, pondering the terrain and her other assets. Sadly, those assets were all too few; but the terrain….

A triumphant grin exploded on her face as she sprinted into the burning fields and down into a small gully, dousing fires as she went. She pumped more and more water onto the charred earth as she went. She danced back and forth, weaving in and out over the same ground, allowing her enemy to churn up the wet earth until it created a deep, swampy pit.

The war machine's weapons fire became more and more sporadic as the pilots did their best to keep the walking arsenal upright. They attempted to walk free from the mire, but slid down the muddy incline and back into the muck.

Ami's grin became even larger, as she pumped more water into the soggy mess. In no time at all the top heavy Senshi Killer collapsed onto its side and mired itself deeper in the impromptu bog. Satisfied with her victory she turned her back on the machine to investigate the sudden sound of cheering that had reached her ears.

She climbed the rise with difficulty, liberally caking her fatigued body in mud. When she crested the lip of the gully, she was greeted by a heart warming sight. People milled about the battlefield rounding up prisoners and firing at the retreating horde of Lemurian invaders.

They had done it! They had routed the enemy!

In her glee, she failed to note the flashing alarm on her visor's display. She felt herself flying and then the world was awash with sound and heat. She hit the viscous mud heavily and skidded across its surface for a short time until coming to rest. Disoriented and groggy, she dimly noted a heavy weight on top of her, pinning her to the ground. A second flash of heat and an explosive roar made her ears ring. The musky smell of burnt earth and sweat filled her nostrils.

She struggled against the weight, but found that she had no leverage to move it. The mud made things even more difficult, as she couldn't find a surface solid enough to push against. Every time she made the attempt, the mud would trap her boot or simply absorb her hands. She started to panic. She couldn't see and she was pinned beneath something! How was she going to escape? Logic was thrown to the wind and Ami began to thrash and wiggle, hoping to at least free her face enough to catch a breath of fresh air.

"Hey! Hey, calm down!" The voice was above her, and she felt something squeeze her lightly. "Everything's going to be okay!"

The weight shifted and her eyes found the deep blue sky again. She sighed in relief, too tired to move and too sore to care about moving.

"Oi! Aramas!" The voice seemed very far away. "What did you catch this time?"

"A Senshi! Can you believe it?"

That voice seemed much closer.

Ami turned her head ever so slightly and caught sight of a very muddy, but grinning male face. He turned slightly, showing her a pair of stormy blue gray eyes and an irreverent grin. His long dark hair was braided, and caked with mud. It made her wonder what she must look like. A shadowy figure appeared next to the young man, blocking out the sun. Long white hair billowed in a cool breeze. The shadow whistled and clapped the young man on the shoulder.

"You have all the luck! Do you have any idea how long I've dreamed of mud wrestling a Senshi?"

Something seemed inherently wrong with that statement. But, for the life of her, Ami couldn't think of why that might be. Was it the voice? The voice did sound familiar somehow….

Her line of thought was cut off as an annoying beeping invaded her reverie. The beeping became louder and more insistent the longer she tried to ignore it. Ami sighed and rolled over…

…And opened her eyes.

"5:45 a.m."

She groaned and slammed her hand down on the alarm angrily. But, the dream was already gone, leaving only a comforting, yet mystified sense of warmth and longing in its wake. Fractured images danced to the fore of her thoughts from time to time, but she could not recapture that last, important moment.

"Stupid clock."

She grumpily stuffed her head back under her pillow, stealing another fifteen minutes of sleep before her dreaded enemy woke her again. There was something about today that made her not want to leave the safety of her blankets.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Masihachi Medical Center 

Juuban Ward 7:45 A.M.

Yuriko Mizuno had never in her life seen the body heal this quickly. Three confirmed broken ribs, a bruise the size of a medium pizza below his right pectoral, and three hairline fractures – one on the interior right clavicle, the second was three quarters down the left humerus, and the last was on the lower tibia just above the ankle…all of which had healed nicely.

"Incredible." Ranma's "I-told-you-so" smirk made her shake her head and roll her eyes. "So, is this another side-effect from the curse?"

The boy's unnatural ability to heal had to be something connected to the mystical nature of the curse. Sadly her assumption was derailed when Ranma shook his head.

"Chakra technique Pops and I picked up in Tibet." Yuriko raised a skeptical eyebrow, but said nothing urging Ranma to continue. Maybe there was something to all this holistic mumbo-jumbo after all. "It's complicated, but it deals a lot with pushin' your chi through the water chakra. The extra energy speeds up the natural process quite a bit, but you have to rest while you do it. I don't like using the technique cause I have ta be flat on my back, an' I hate not being able ta' do nothin' for days on end. But, considering how much longer I'd be down…well a couple of days of doing nothin' is a fair trade. I ain't mastered the technique yet, but I'm close."

Yuriko snorted and shook her head. The idea of magic and fantasy martial arts techniques still set her nerves on edge, but she couldn't denounce the evidence of her own eyes. It was hard to see one's stable, yet terribly mundane, world upset by something so unquantifiable, but Yuriko thought she was dealing with the situation rather well…all things considered. Changing one's worldview overnight wasn't easy, but she found herself filled with a giddy, girlish sense of wonder. The world had suddenly regain some of its mystery and that excited and unsettled Yuriko quite a bit. She kept wondering what was going to pop up next…some talking animal calling on her to be a magical princess? She chuckled at the idea and continued to examine her patient's condition.

"You don't believe me?" Ranma asked with a side-long glance.

"How can I not? You win. Dinner's on me." Yuriko waved her hand at Ranma in exasperation. "It's all just so…unbelievably amazing!"

It was Ranma's turn to snort. The look on his face was an easily read – "Welcome-to-my-life" expression.

"This is nothin'. You should'a seen the monk that demonstrated the technique." Ranma rolled his neck and rubbed his right arm as if chilled. "He had one of the acolytes chop his arm off with an axe, then the bald geezer gets up, calm as can be, blood drippin' everywhere, and picks up his arm. Then he sits down in front of me, and holds up the arm and then presses it to the stump. Ten minutes later you'd never know that he'd been hurt at all. No scar or nothin'."

Yuriko could only sit and stare at the boy.

"You're yanking my chain." She said at last, a playful smirk danced across her face. It soon turned to a frown as the boy again shook his head. Without explanation, he stood up from the examination table and walked over to a cabinet. After rummaging around for a moment he was able to find a small pair of surgical scissors that he presented to the disbelieving doctor. She furrowed her brow as he placed the scissors in her hand.

"What do you want me to do with these?"

"Stab me, scratch me, cut me…whatever floats your boat." Yuriko blinked and then frowned angrily.

"Not funny Ranma-kun."

She frowned and started to put the scissors back only to be stopped by the young martial artist's iron grip on her wrist. She started to pull away from him, but he inevitably drew the scissors to the back of his arm and gouged a small furrow in the flesh. Yuriko glared at him reproachfully.

"What in the…"

Ranma held up a finger and immediately pointed to the small wound. Yuriko didn't look down immediately. Instead, she fixed Ranma with the iciest look she could muster, promising him a retribution that he wouldn't soon forget. The young man, for all his bravado seemed to shrink back a bit beneath the intense glare. After a moment, he swallowed hard and closed his eyes blocking her out, presumably looking for his center…or whatever it was that martial artists did when the closed their eyes and regulated their breathing. It took a long time for it to finally happen, but eventually a deep peace settled over him and the air seemed to become charged with energy. Seeing this, Yuriko sighed in defeat and looked at her patient's forearm…and watched in amazement as the small cut began to close!

Her wrist, where his other hand still held it, tingled with a sudden heat. The sensation made her want to pry his hand off and scratch the itch that was starting to develop. As suddenly as it began, the skin closed over, the scab shrank, and the tiny scar disappeared. Next to his curse, this was the single most incredible thing Yuriko Mizuno had ever witnessed in her life. It didn't excuse what he had done, but it was cool nonetheless.

"Incredibly rad Chakra healing aside, you're in deep…" Yuriko felt her pager buzz and growled. It was plain that Ranma could feel a lecture coming on, because he was eyeing the door nervously. She glared at the tiny number for a moment, slowly pursing her lips as she realized who it was, and what is was all about.

"You're lucky, Mr. Saotome. We're going to have to postpone your lecture for another time."

"What'd I do ta deserve a sermon?" Ranma protested. Yuriko sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Do you know anything about the Hippocratic Oath?" Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping his chin in what Yuriko thought was an adorable manner. Giddy visions of a grandson with Ami's eyes and Ranma's pouting bottom lip easily came to mind. It made the page she just received all the more exciting. The young martial artist looked up at Yuriko again with an odd, uncertain look.

"You mean to tell me that people promise ta say one thing and do another? That's stupid." Yuriko buried her face in her hands.

"No, Ranma. You're thinking of a hypocrite. Hippocratic is something else completely."

"They sure sound the same." Ranma scratched his head and frowned. Yuriko was saved the ordeal of explaining herself further by another vibration from her page.

"Let's just call it a morning. Okay?" She jotted down some quick notes on Ranma's chart and moved towards the counter. She must have looked a little rushed, because Ranma became a little tenser.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"No. Just another appointment that I had forgotten. Now then, about your next visit…"

"Next visit?" Ranma's posture became even more tense. He began looking around at the jars of tongue depressors and the cotton swabs nervously.

"Yes." Yuriko smiled slightly, trying to radiate an aura of calm. "There are some other things we need to talk about."

"What kinda things?" The young man started to back away nervously. The window, even though they were nine stories up, was looking mighty tempting to him. "You ain't gonna run no experiments on me or nothin' are you?"

Yuriko felt shocked and a little guilty at the mention of the idea. Sure she'd thought about it, but that's all she'd done.

"Ranma, I want you to know, right here and now, that I would never violate your trust in that manner. If you want to learn more about your curse, or any other aspect of your health for that matter, I'm always available." She smiled as he relaxed a bit. "But I would never do anything that would abuse your confidence in that manner. It's against everything that I believe in."

Ranma sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he sat on the edge of the exam table.

"So what kinda stuff do you wanna talk about?"

Yuriko moved over to the table and hopped up next to her patient and looked him in the eye.

"First and foremost, I would like to work up a medical history. You and your father," She grimaced inside at the thought of Genma. "…went without regular checkups for a very long time, so most of our talk will be a lot of questions about shots and past illnesses. We'll talk a little about your curse and if you're okay with it, maybe an exam or two in order to make sure your other body is healthy."

"Are we talkin' about one of **_them_** exams?" The young man blushed terribly which caused Yuriko to smirk.

"You've heard of those have you?" Ranma nodded.

"Doc Tofu was always tryin' to convince me that they were necessary, but there ain't no way I'm lettin' no perv doctor touch me there when I'm a girl!" It was all that Yuriko could do not to laugh.

"I…(ahem)…I tell you what. We'll talk about all of that next time. I'll tell you some of the things we're looking for and you can tell how you'd like to proceed. How's that sound?"

"Sounds okay I guess." Ranma didn't exactly look like it was okay, but he had calmed considerably as they had talked. "Is there anything else?"

Yuriko smirked.

"Aside from our date this afternoon, I can't think of anything else right off the top of my head. You have a clean bill of health for Thursday's fieldtrip." Ranma shifted uneasily, and it had absolutely nothing to do with "first-day-of-school" jitters.

"Do we hafta call it a date?"

"What would you like to call it? A rendezvous? A tryst? A secret liaison?" She waggled her eyebrows and grinned impishly. Ranma shivered and ran his hand through his hair, showing his discomfort. He knew that she was joking, but…damn! She was old enough to be his mom!

"Stuff like this is gonna scar me for life." He mumbled under his breath. Apparently the comment was loud enough to be heard, because Yuriko winked at him and grinned. She began to jot something else down on Ranma's chart, regaining some of her professional demeanor again – much to her patient's relief.

"Speaking of scars, there is something that really has me curious. What are these tiny scars from? I mean, you were able to heal yourself fairly easy and these don't look much deeper than the cut you made earlier…." She trailed off, gently examining a set of three parallel scratches on his right shoulder blade with her fingers. The more she looked the more marks she found. It was disconcerting to find literally hundred of the tiny wounds.

"I got em before I learned the technique." Ranma said with a shiver. "I've been workin' on getting' rid of them, but existing scars are harder to heal for some reason. The monk that taught me the technique said somethin' about healing the spiritual damage first, before I could heal the physical damage." Ranma shrugged. "I ain't too good on the spiritual side of things yet, but now that Pops ain't houndin' me all the time about trainin' I'm hopin' to get some time to master these meditations that I learned on the road."

"Your father's not exactly the spiritual type is he?" Yuriko winked eliciting a barked laugh from Ranma.

"You got that right."

"Tell me though, were you attacked by an animal? These look too uniform to be a typical training injury."

"It depends on what your definition of a typical training session is." Ranma said darkly.

"What do you mean?"

Ranma sighed and scratched his head. Something in the pit of Yuriko's stomach told her that this was going to be a story she didn't want to hear.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Etsuko Himemiya had been practicing medicine with Yuriko Mizuno since they'd left med school. Their time at the orphanage had brought her very close to both Yuriko and Nodoka, and so it was a joy that she was able to catch up with her old friend as she waited for her son's examination to be finished. The women had been chatting it up non-stop, Nodoka bragging about her Ranma and Etsuko sharing pictures of four little devils of her own. It was a joyful reunion that was soon to be tragically interrupted by a primal scream of rage that touched every mother within three floors of Yuriko Mizuno's voice.

"A PIT OF STARVING CATS!"

Nodoka's hand immediately went to her mouth in concern.

"Oh. Oh, dear." She looked torn between investigating the disturbance, and finding a place to hide. Etsuko opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when a second explosion shook the office.

"479 TIMES!"

There was a short pause.

"GIVE OR TAKE!"

Etsuko looked at Nodoka's wide eyes and pale face. The symptoms for shock were plainly setting in. She tried to help her friend, but even before she could escape the confines of her chair, Nodoka Saotome had passed out.

A moment later, Etsuko's own eyes widened as Yuriko burst out of exam room one, dragging a handsome and very shirtless young man behind her. He was doing everything in his power to slow the furious woman, and seemed terribly surprised that his efforts were futile. Yuriko stomped her way over to the unconscious woman in Etsuko's lap, seized her by the front of her kimono and began to shake her forcefully.

"NODOKA! WAKE UP! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT $$#$$&&: GENMA DID TO YOUR BABY! I'M GOING TO $$#$& KILL HIM!"

The young man grunted and tried to pry Yuriko's hands from his mother's clothing while Etsuko was doing her best to lessen the impact of Nodoka's head against the floor. Both were yelling at Yuriko to calm down, although the young man seemed to add fuel to the fire with his "Knock-it-off-you-Looney-chick" comment. Yuriko seemed almost oblivious to their presence as she continued to try and wake Nodoka Saotome.

"479 TIMES! 479 TIMES! INTO A PIT OF STARVING CATS! HOW COULD YOU MARRY SUCH A MONSTER?"

Etsuko stopped trying to get Yuriko's attention in favor of staring at Ranma's scars. Things naturally degenerated from there, and the poor young man ended up having to deal with two women rather than one. He was successful in freeing his mother before she received whiplash, or any serious damage and as he ran down the flights of stairs (due to the elevator taking too damn long) he heard a very familiar battle cry emanating from somewhere above him.

"GENMA SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIIIIIE!"

The fact that the name wasn't quite right and that the roar echoed with distinctively feminine voices didn't give Ranma any comfort.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Both Genma and Ryouga, though separated by many continents and large bodies of water, shivered and sneezed repeatedly. Their responses however, were very different.

"Stupid Ranma." Ryouga growled as he toured an ancient city hidden deep within the Amazon Basin.

Genma simply looked around the room, passed wind and then went back to his nap.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Somewhere in Middle China 

An undisclosed military base

"_I'M TELLING YOU, THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN HE..._" The Chinese soldier's warning was drowned out by his dying scream, and then the inevitable static as the radio's channel died.

Commander Wi Chen had received a dozen such reports in less than fifteen minutes. Each had been more terrible than the last, leaving him trembling in terror. He wanted to vomit each time he looked at the monitors. Twelve Squadrons had been dispatched to investigate the initial alarm; only three remained.

There had been reports of demons, of living shadows coming out of the darkness and ripping crack troops apart with such brutality that the bodies would have to be identified by dental records. That was, if the teeth could be found.

Assuming he lived through this, Commander Chen wondered how he was going to explain the deaths of his men to his superiors. It wasn't as if they would believe that demons and ghosts perpetrated this wholesale slaughter. And yet, that was exactly what was happening. He had been watching these monstrosities roaming the corridors through what little remained of the surveillance system for less than thirty minutes. When they became aware of the cameras, they were promptly destroyed. But he had seen enough to be convinced that they were real. He had no idea where they came from, nor did he truly care at this moment. His greater concern was why they were here.

Their attack pattern was obvious, and Wi Chen knew that there was nothing that he could do to stop the advance. But what would demons want with nuclear weapons? It made no sense. That would be the last question that Commander Chen would ever ask aloud, as the horse headed shadow took shape behind him.

He had enough time to pray that his wife and children had escaped the base before Savitiri fell upon the man and devoured his soul along with his flesh.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Tokyo Harbor 

Herb shrugged into his pack easily, adjusting it so that the magical treasures he carried would distribute themselves properly. The boat that they had hired (bought would have been a more appropriate term) was already returning to gather the next group to be ferried over from the mainland.

Ten days gathering and organizing the refugees had been a mind-numbing task. Getting them across the Yellow Sea and into Japan was a nightmare. While both nations had allies and agents living here, it was evident that the Amazons held more influence. Luckily, for the Musk, the truce remained intact. Had Khu Lon decided to cut Herb loose, there was nowhere that his people could go to find aid. Their little province wasn't recognized as a sovereign state, which meant politically that they were considered Chinese nationals. Herb could only imagine the reception that he and his people would receive if delivered to the Chinese embassy. The fact that they were illegal immigrants only heightened his anxiety.

Herb sighed noisily and glanced at his "shadows."

Lime and Mint stood on either side of their King, but no one was as close to him as Pepper who had taken up a silent vigil at the young ruler's side. The seriousness in Pepper's eyes worried Herb. The boy was maturing too quickly. He had a feverish look that was bordering on paranoia. He would jump at loud noises and brandish his small knives at the slightest hint of danger. It was almost enough to crush Herb's spirit.

The only thing that kept him going any more was the thought of revenge, and the needs of his people.

/So, where do we head from here/ he asked Xian Pu in Chinese as the Amazon shrugged into the harness that would carry her Great-Grandmother's weakened and still broken body.

/I don't know./ She looked around her, and finally settled on two of her sisters that had chosen to accompany them from Hong Kong. /We have properties throughout Asia that were bought long ago for emergencies such as this.../ She looked to the ragged form of Khu Lon and shrugged. /Great Grandmother knows them all, as do some of the other Elders. We will choose one here in Tokyo to serve as our base of operations, and then progress from there./

/What about the restaurant in Nerima/ Herb asked. He noticed the way that Xian Pu winced and subsequently dismissed the notion.

/We sold the property./ Her voice was terse, and far too controlled. Saotome must have hurt her pride deeply for her to be this cold about the issue. /I have heard Great Grandmother speak of a house in Azabu Juuban. It is close enough to the harbor, and the house there is larger than anything that we could afford in Nerima./

Herb was about to say something more when Xian Pu walked over to Khu Lon, and after a brief conversation, gathered the ancient woman into her arms. Khu Lon gingerly scrambled into the harness and allowed her great granddaughter to take up her staff. With a weak gesture she motioned for the others to follow.

Herb sighed and adjusted his pack again, finally setting out after the Amazons with his small retinue.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Tendo Dojo Nerima 

There was something to be said for rampaging woman. Had Happosai been in attendance he would have run for the hills, laughing maniacally in order to hide his abject terror. Unfortunately, he wasn't, so all Nabiki had to vent her frustrations on were four very capable men and women; three of whom had incredibly large noses, and one that had started having explicit dreams about her for almost two weeks straight now.

This wouldn't have been such a terrible thing had the jerk not projected them to over half of the neighborhood. She might have even forgiven him that, if he hadn't woken her with his little fantasy before dawn! Now, here she was, awake well before she should have been, trying to shake the feel…er…image that he had left her with. BUT IT WASN'T WORKING!

The fact that the object of her ire had been pestering her since she had come down from her room, was not only aggravating, it was embarrassing as Hell. It was humiliating enough that Yoshitsune was dreaming about her in such an…uninhibited manner, but the thing that really irked Nabiki was that the jerk didn't have the decency to remember the dreams at all! Everyone else in her shrinking world seemed to know about them, but Don Juan remained clueless!

She didn't know whether to feel insulted or grateful.

"I'm only going to say this once Yoshi-chan. Leave me alone."

One thing was for certain though, the idiot kept hounding her about finding Ranma, and it was really starting to grate on her already frayed nerves. She could have easily settled this telepathically (she was really starting to get the hang of that gift), but there was something about verbally dressing down a man in public that she missed.

As Nabiki stormed through the yard towards the dojo, Yoshitsune skipped ahead and blocked her path, forcing her to pull up short. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and her long tapered ears began to twitch in a rather agitated manner.

"How long are we going to sit around here?" he demanded. "It's been two weeks now and all you've done is sulk!"

Her response was anything but polite. The rather violent images involving a spoon, hot coals, and the ultimate symbol of Yoshitsune's manhood that she tossed into the man's head made his face pale. Confident that she had his attention, Nabiki narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"You've got a lot of nerve making demands like that, Yoshi-chan." It was amazing what a little ice in your voice could do to a man's complexion. Nabiki was impressed that he didn't back down.

"With all that's at stake, I think that I've got the right."

Wrong answer.

"You've got the right? YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT!" She was in his face in an instant, jabbing her finger roughly at the center of his chest. "Listen here you pathetic…" Nabiki was so mad that the insult flew from her mind. "You kidnap me, drag me before a giant old tree, and STEAL my life from me, all because you think you're in the RIGHT?"

Nabiki could hear the grass whimpering beneath her feet and the trees were starting to moan. She could feel the koi begin to panic and hunt for places to hide themselves. It was truly disconcerting being able to hear the voices of nature…cool, but disconcerting. Before she could really put all of the clues together, Yoshitsune was throwing her attitude right back at her, poking her just as roughly and forcing her to back up a step.

"Listen here, you self righteous little minx! We gave you your life back! You should be grateful." Nabiki saw red.

"GRATEFUL! GRATEFUL! YOU TURNED ME INTO A #$&$! ELF!" She growled, sounding more like a wolf than a teenage girl. "And just where do you think I could go with THESE?"

Her long tapered ears flapped like wings.

"I'm not into cosplay and I sure as hell can't stick them under a hat." Her growl grew more dangerous as she stepped closer to him. Sharp canines flashed angrily as she continued to berate the man. "So tell me, oh Wise One. How do you expect me to search a city with over twelve million people in it, supposing that Ranma is still here and not some place like, say…China, without attracting the wrong kind of ATTENTION?"

Yoshitsune took a step back from her as she jabbed her finger into his chest. His eyes looked skyward with concern for the way the wind had started to pick up.

"How am I supposed to know? You're the almighty Huntress, the physical embodiment of the Earth! You're the one that's supposed to be the expert on finding Aramas…" He countered, jabbing his finger into her breastbone.

"Ranma." Nabiki viciously slapped his finger away.

The man continued as if she had said nothing. Neither noticed the crowd that had formed at the table, nor the furious betting that was going on between Hato-chan and the others.

"…And if you think for one minute that I'm going to spend another day listening to you whine…" He jabbed his finger roughly at her breastbone. "…while the Rhakshasa kill more innocents…"

Jab.

Washi winced and placed two thousand yen on Yoshitsune. The kid was stupid and stubborn. He would win out in the end by the simple fact that he didn't know when to quit. Tsubame, ever loyal to the Huntress, grinned with feral glee and matched his bet. Genma started to bet on Yoshitsune (he was a man after all), but the glare from Soun made him change his mind.

"…then you've got another…"

Jab.

Kasumi smiled as she set out a plate of cookies, and laid down a five thousand yen bet that Yoshi-kun was going to have his finger broken. No one took that bet.

"…thing …"

Jab.

Nabiki's aura flared a brilliant green. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the ground seemed to tremble a bit more than was usual.

Hato-chan shook her head and bet ten thousand yen that both would end up wet and kissing by the end of the altercation. She was a hopeless romantic and considering Nabiki-san's dreams lately…. Washi and Tsubame snorted and slapped down their money, as did Soun. There was no way that his daughter would betray Ranma like that.

…COMING!"

Yoshitsune started to poke Nabiki again, but her hand blurred and caught the offending finger. To the man's credit, his own hand blurred and caught Nabiki's wrist, preventing her from breaking the offending digit; but the man didn't count on the second strike aimed at his groin. The knee came up, the man went down; but he refused to let go of Nabiki's wrist.

Nabiki and Yoshitsune growled at each other and exchanged a flurry of blows that were cunningly blocked on both sides without breaking the locks that they had on each other. Soun and Genma had trouble wrapping their minds around the fact that the young woman, who up until recently had difficulty remembering a basic kata, was unleashing a veritable storm of blows at the man in front of her. After a full minute of trading blows, Soun Tendo was grinning like mad.

Like father, like daughter.

Genma on the other hand was more impressed with Yoshitsune. Not that he would ever tell his dear friend that…nope. That was just asking to be thrown out. Still, Yoshitsune was to be admired. It was a testament to the young man's endurance that he was able to fight through the haze of pain that he was assuredly experiencing. Genma remembered well the Master's training, and wondered if this remarkable young man had ever been exposed to the mysteries of the Sacred Jeweled Knee.

And thus the battle before the koi pond continued.

The pair grappled until at last Nabiki got a solid kick in, causing her opponent to stagger towards the calm waters of the pond. He was about to fall in when, in an amazing display of balance he halted himself. His back was arched dangerously over the water, and his arms windmilled in order to keep himself dry.

Nabiki grinned evilly, intent on putting the man in his place.

She stalked over to him and started to push him in, when Yoshi's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Nabiki's eyes bulged as her opponent teetered and drew her off balance. She struggled to free herself, but the man's grip was like iron.

He grinned triumphantly as the two hit the water with a huge splash. The brawling that ensued was vicious, but in the end, Hato-chan collected her winnings. Soun wept at his daughter's promiscuity as she shared a deep passionate kiss with Yoshitsune.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Hikawa Shrine 

Juuban

"Where do you keep the green tea?" Setsuna grumbled irritably as she rifled through the cupboards in the kitchen.

Rei tried to ignore her new housemate in favor of the large physics book in front of her. Somehow, the mathematics of refraction seemed more appealing than dealing with the green haired woman. Unfortunately, Setsuna was fixing her with _that_ look – the one that made her back itch as if it were on fire. It was easy to imagine the smug, expectant look on her face too.

Witch.

"I don't." Rei growled.

When had she lost control over her life? Had she ever had control in the first place?

"Pity." Setsuna's voice was filled with disdain as she continued to raid the cabinets. After a few rather noisy minutes, Rei heard her set a large ceramic jar on the counter. Another, more hollow canister soon followed, making Rei's teeth grind. There was little doubt that Setsuna had uncovered Rei's personal stash of Pocky.

The room began to noticeably heat.

"Don't you have your own home to go to?" Rei growled. She could almost feel the woman's eyebrow arch.

"Do you have some tact hidden away in these cupboards?" Setsuna asked pleasantly.

Rei spun in her chair sharply and glared at the older woman.

"Look, Miss Know-all-See-all, I've had it about up to here…" Her hand shot above her head. "…with you and your attitude."

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual." Setsuna murmured dryly.

Rei ground her teeth.

"Then why are you still here? You've got the answers that you wanted, right?"

"Wrong." Setsuna frowned and shook her head. "We know that Ur has returned. We know that he has attacked the Horus, but we do not know what his next step will be."

"He's going to come after us." Rei made no attempt to hide her sarcasm. "You know, send the monster to collect some precious form of spiritual energy, attack to probe our strength, and then send his lame-o henchmen/general things to try and kill us."

Setsuna listened to the tirade with a bemused smirk.

"We of course power up and lay the smack down on the bastards (who are too cute for their own good – damn waste of good flesh that they are) and then face off against the impossibly powerful bad guy who, in all likelihood will kill us, leaving Usagi to fend for herself and beat the bad guy. Did I leave anything out?"

"Resurrection." Setsuna began to fill the teapot with water from the sink.

"Ah, yes." Rei's voice was bitterly cynical. "Meatball head will bring us back from the dead, because she loves us and can't seem to function without us. Idiot."

Setsuna paused in placing the teapot on the stove to look at Rei critically.

"What?" The raven-haired girl demanded. Setsuna said nothing and calmly placed the water on to boil.

"Unfortunately, there are a few flaws in your theory."

"Such as?"

"First, the Rhakshasa do not collect energy. They eat the souls of their prey, like you would eat a sushi platter or a beef bowl. There is no great entity looking to be fed, unless of course you count the Rhakshasa themselves. There are no Heart Crystals or Star Seeds to replace with these monsters."

Rei swallowed hard and stared at Setsuna, praying that she was joking. From the serious set of her face, it was evident that she wasn't.

"Second, they could care less about our strengths. Relatively speaking, they have numbers on their side sufficient to overwhelm the Earth like a plague of locusts. Fortunately for us, Queen Serenity and King Endymion the First sealed the majority of them away."

"Then how are they here?" Rei demanded. Setsuna sighed and rubbed her neck.

"That is what we need to find out, Rei. If Ur is leading them, then he is the one that set them free. I cannot see how this is possible, but he was a consummate Arcanist in his day. The best in all of Atlantis in fact." Setsuna frowned and turned to collect a pair of teacups. "Regardless, he is no fool. He will not send one henchman, or even two. He will organize strategic strikes and rely on strength of numbers to defeat any who stand in his way."

Rei opened her mouth to protest, but Setsuna beat her to the punch.

"They will try to kill us though, if that is any consolation to you. Possibly even worse…" She paused for effect. "…enslave us."

Rei glared at the dark skinned woman.

"So you're saying that we don't have a chance…is that it?"

Setsuna stared at Rei for a long moment, weighing the other girl pound for pound. The teakettle began to scream, causing Rei to jump nervously. Setsuna smiled grimly and set about collecting the pot.

"As far as I know, we are at the peak of our powers. This is it, there's nothing more. None of the elder Senshi had the opportunity to pass on the greater part of their knowledge to their apprentices before the final battles, so you and the others will not have any memories to draw on. I also witnessed a number of the Senshi's talismans destroyed as well. So, many of the more powerful attacks once open to the Inner Senshi, are now lost to us."

"Talismans?" Rei asked bewildered.

"Items of power." Setsuna poured Rei a cup and pushed it towards her.

"I know what they are." Rei accepted the tea darkly. "They are the keys that allow us to safely tap the deeper well of our planet's magic. Like Hotaru's Silence Glaive or your staff."

"Very good." Setsuna tried not to be patronizing, really. It didn't work though. "Did you know however, that without them to act as a buffer for us, we could burn ourselves to a cinder?"

Rei ignored the poor choice of metaphor in favor of trying to remember if she had ever had a talisman. Memories from her past life were hard enough to access when she was calm, but now it seemed nigh impossible.

"Weren't there records kept?"

Setsuna arched her eyebrow quizzically.

"I know that there were records kept! What I mean is, wouldn't the elder Senshi have left a training manual or something in case they fell in battle? Wouldn't they have prepared for the possibility that the talismans could have been destroyed?"

"Unfortunately, the elder Senshi were not the most trusting of women. They had seen too much and suffered a great deal to help Serenity forge her fragile peace throughout the system. Each woman guarded her secrets viciously; for fear that their techniques might one day fall into the hands of an enemy."

Setsuna set her cup down and rubbed her neck.

"The Silver Millennium was not a time of stable peace…not by any means. There were always conflicts, even among the elder Senshi. It's inevitable where politics are involved."

"What about the talismans then?" Rei pressed. "Surely there's a record on how to build new ones."

"Oh, there are records to be sure. But you neither have the time, the luxury, nor the capacity to travel to Mars. Mining the amount of ore required to make your own Obsidian Bow took over seven years. Tack on another fifty to learn and lay the proper spells without annihilating yourselves and the majority of the world we're trying to protect…well, you get my point."

Rei looked crest fallen.

"Therefore you can see that there will be very little 'smack down' and probably a great deal of creative survival involved, if we're lucky. The Rhakshasa, being otherworldly beings, are not attractive to anyone's sensibilities. Ur however was extremely handsome in his day. Whether his looks weathered a ten thousand year imprisonment as a statue, I do not know…nor do I care. However, if all of us make it to Ur, I will be very surprised if you will be concerned with his rugged good looks. In fact, I will be amazed if any of us survive to face Ur at all. Regardless of who lives and dies, he will kill most of those that challenge him at that point, and Usagi as charitable as she is, will end up facing off against him alone. She may or may not win to resurrect us; darkness will probably consume the Earth, and we will have failed in our assigned duties completely. Have I left anything out?"

Rei, silently shook her head.

"We must not despair though. You have given us the key to winning, even if we don't know what it means yet." Setsuna smiled weakly and sipped her tea.

"Ami riding a horse. How's that supposed to help us?" Rei demanded.

"You tell me. Symbols are supposed to be your forte priestess, not mine. I can only guess." Setsuna set her cup aside and steepled her hands. "The horse as symbolism, has held so many meanings over the millennia. Perseus freed Pegasus from the Gorgon's body, thus giving him a way to save Andromeda from the Kraken. Kalki is said to be the tenth and last incarnation of Vishnu, and he will come riding upon the back of a white horse to bring about the final destruction of the wicked and restore creation to a state of righteousness."

Rei rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"So the horse is a means of conveyance then, and Ami is going to be our salvation?"

Setsuna shrugged and allowed her hands to fall to the table.

"Who can say? Ami is often the key to victory is she not? Without her tactical expertise and timely insights, how many battles would you have survived?" Rei grumbled awkwardly and shifted in her seat. "Ami may be the key, however think on this. The horse could also represent our hope and Ami is the key to claiming it." The woman looked thoughtful for a moment, but eventually shook her head and resumed drinking her tea.

"What?" Rei asked.

"Nothing." Setsuna attempted to dodge the question, but Rei pressed forward

"Something."

"A forgotten dream…or perhaps wishful thinking, nothing more." Rei frowned and started to press the issue, but Setsuna cut her off. "Are the others still coming?"

Rei nodded and reluctantly let the matter drop. If Setsuna didn't want talk about it, then there was little that Rei could do to convince her otherwise.

"Everyone except Ami. She's spending time with her mother today."

Setsuna nodded and looked vacantly up at the ceiling. The expression on the woman's face was terribly sad, but controlled. Rei wanted to ask her about it, but there was something about the set of the woman's jaw that warned her that this was a very touchy subject; one that promised to be painful if broached. The young shrine maiden sighed and settled her chin in the palm of her hand dejectedly.

There were days that she really hated this job.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Fukugawa Edo Museum**

Koto-ku, Tokyo

Ami sighed and fidgeted next to her mother in front of the museum building. Yuriko grinned as she casually leaned against the three-toned, rose-colored marble wall next to the museum's entrance.

"Nervous?"

Ami shook her head a bit too abruptly to be convincing. The flat look in her mother's eye and the wry grin that accompanied it, told her as much.

"A little." She conceded.

"Everyone gets the jitters on their first date. Don't worry about it."

"This isn't my first date!" Ami hissed. Again the all-knowing, flat-eyed stare that all mothers seem to have came to bear, leaving Ami squirming even more. "It's not. And besides you can't call this a date."

"Oh? What would you call it then?" Yuriko's smile was indulgent at best. Ami crossed her arms over her stomach and turned away from her mother, looking for a more solid foundation to battle her from.

"Chaperoning." It was Ami's turn to smile. Yuriko Mizuno laughed, drawing stares from more than a few people entering the museum.

"I have to say, the sentiment is noble Ami-chan, but you don't have to protect my virtue."

"Who says I'm protecting yours?" Ami growled.

Yuriko laughed again and shook her head. Ami sighed and looked around for a rock to hide under as more attention was drawn her way. Her mother wrapped her arm around Ami's shoulders and started to say something, probably very crude, but was cut off as her cell phone began to ring.

"Hello! This is Yuriko." Ami sighed in relief – saved by the bell. "Hi, Maeda-kun. What can I do for you today? Mrs. Hohki? Yes, she's one of mine."

Ami began to panic. Maeda-Sensei was one of the ER doctors. Her mother wasn't officially on call today, but that didn't mean she couldn't be called in to deal with one of her regular patients. The butterflies that had been assaulting her for over an hour were now little more than a cold lump in the pit of her stomach.

"Chest pains…no, she has no history of…Well, what tests have you run? And?" Ami watched as her mother's face became more and more upset. The voice on the other end of the line was sounding agitated and rather upset as well. "If they're all negative then why are you calling me? Oh, come on Maeda! This is my afternoon off! I'm on a date with my daughter. Fine, put her on the phone."

Ami's panic became full-blown agitation as her mother's face relaxed and became a mask of professionalism.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Hohki. Yes, this is Dr. Mizuno. I hear that you're not feeling very well." Ami sighed as her mother flashed her a sad smile. She nodded occasionally and rubbed her forehead. After a few moments, she covered the receiver with her hand. "Sorry, Honey."

Ami smiled weakly and shrugged. Yuriko turned her attention back to the conversation and fished out a small notepad and pen from her purse. She began jotting down notes and after a moment of silence she tucked the pen behind her ear. Her hand subconsciously combed through her hair, and Ami knew that the battle was lost.

"Yes, Mrs.Hohki. I'll be there in about twenty minutes. You're welcome."

Ami sighed as her mother turned off the phone and began fishing out her wallet.

"Duty calls Ami-chan." Yuriko pulled a small amount of money and her credit card, and passed them to her daughter.

"Maybe we should just re-schedule this for another day." Ami knew the attempt was doomed even before the words left her mouth, but the old adage died hard with her: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Her mother quirked a grin and shook her head.

"He'll be here any minute, and there's no sense in prolonging his reward any longer. He won the bet after all, and I'm a woman of my word." She smiled and lightly patted Ami on the shoulder. "Besides, I almost think he would prefer to be alone with you over me any day of the week."

Ami's face reddened immensely.

"You really think so?" Her voice was strained and quiet. Yuriko nodded and wrapped an arm around her daughter, squeezing her close.

"Between you and me, I think I'm too much woman for him." She winked playfully and poked Ami on the nose. Ami rolled her eyes and snorted.

"I'm sure that you are right." Ami said dryly.

"Too hot to handle?" Her mother asked.

"Undoubtedly." Ami's smile was warm and playful, earning her a hug.

"Bless you, Child. You know just what to say."

Yuriko pulled away and started back towards the train station, only to pull up short and spin back to face her daughter. There was a mischievous gleam in the woman's eyes that set Ami's nerves on edge. Before she knew it, Yuriko was back and pressing something into her hands.

"Tell Ranma sorry for me – for this morning and not being able to be here in person." Ami waved, wondering what her mother had done to Ranma this morning to warrant an apology. The line of thought was derailed as Yuriko leaned in close and cupped her daughter's ear. "If you can't be good, then at least be careful." She whispered loudly with a wink. Ami started to question her about the innuendo, but her mother was off before she had even formed a coherent word.

Ami's eyes drifted down to the object in her palm and bulged incredulously. Her face, already pink with embarrassment, turned crimson as she thrust her hand forcefully into her purse. The feeling of a hundred pairs of eyes made her skin crawl. She was certain that everyone within two hundred yards had seen the small foil wrapped, square package; which made the moment all the more horrifying to her.

What if Ranma saw? What would he think? Oh, she was going to kill her mother! This was so…

"Hi, Ami-chan!"

"Eeeee!" She jumped and recoiled at the sound of Ranma's voice behind her. She spun rapidly and flattened herself against the wall, obscuring her purse in the process. Ami was surprised to note Makoto's presence beside the handsome young man, and found herself feeling a bit more relaxed at the sight of the taller girl.

"You okay, Ami-chan?" Concern tinged Ranma's voice, causing Ami's fading blush to quickly return.

"Yes, thank you."

"Where's your Mom?" Makoto asked gruffly.

There was a palpable edge to the young woman's voice and in her stance that screamed of barely suppressed anger. It reminded Ami of how Makoto had been when they had first met. Ranma on the other hand, looked like he knew he was about to be ambushed. His eyes darted left and right, taking in the crowd as he backed his way to the wall next to Ami. It made the young woman want to giggle. Her mother had been right; she was too much for Ranma to handle.

"She had an emergency at the hospital."

"She ain't mad at me or nothin' is she?" Ranma asked nervously. He hadn't exactly expected the good doctor's reaction this morning and he wasn't sure how to deal with rampaging mothers yet. One thing was certain, he'd rather go ten rounds with Ryouga, Taro, and the Old Letch all together rather than experience the wrath he'd seen this morning.

"No. She didn't seem upset at all." Ranma sagged with relief, and she was forced to cough in order to cover her sudden need to laugh.

"What did you do?" Makoto growled.

"I didn't do nothing!" Ami felt suddenly nervous.

"She didn't do or say anything offensive did she?

It was then that she noticed the gifts in Ranma's hands. A wonderful bouquet of flowers was held limply in his right hand, and a small powder blue box with a creamy lace ribbon tied around it, to keep it closed.

"So the date's off then?" Makoto asked.

"It ain't a date." Ranma growled, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly. "It's payback."

Makoto rolled her eyes and turned back to Ami, who fidgeted beneath the other girl's expectant gaze.

"Mother asked that I take her place." She swallowed visibly, hoping Ranma wouldn't notice her nervousness. "She said that Ranma had earned it. She also apologizes for whatever happened this morning."

Makoto turned her bitter attention to Ranma and narrowed her eyes to suspicious slits.

"Do you want me to stay with you, Ami-chan?" The implied distrust was lost on Ranma, who was staring at the gifts in his hands uncertainly.

"No. No, I think we'll be fine." Ami said quietly. "Thank you, though."

She looked at Makoto apologetically. They hadn't really spoken since the dinner at Ranma's house, and she could still feel a wall of anger between them. Makoto nodded brusquely and then stepped in front of Ranma.

The tall girl stared him in the eye balefully.

"Hurt her and I will kill you. Very, very slowly." Ami was shocked by Makoto's declaration, and wanted to say something but checked herself when Ranma simply smiled. Makoto turned to Ami and bobbed her head. "He tries anything funny, you call me."

It was more than a request, which made Ami a little upset, but at the same time hopeful that they could get beyond their current differences. That didn't excuse the fact that Makoto's attitude towards Ranma was really getting out of hand though; and from the way Ranma was grinning, he wasn't exactly helping matters either. Case in point: Ranma's hand darted out and tweaked the other girl's nose playfully.

"Have fun with Mom this afternoon, Sis." Makoto growled and punched at him blindly. Ami was surprised to see, or rather not see, Ranma's hand intercept the blow. The sound of flesh smacking loudly against flesh made her wince, but Ranma showed no sign of discomfort. He just stood there, his hand wrapped around Makoto's fist, smiling smugly. The small blue package he had been holding was resting neatly atop Makoto's head!

A gruff sound escaped the angry girl's throat as she tugged and tugged until she was finally able to tear her fist free. She stumbled back a step and caught her balance again. The small box had somehow disappeared from the top of her head, and made its way back into Ranma's hand. Makoto's eyes narrowed dangerously, but she made no move to press the issue any further, for which Ami was grateful. The tall girl nodded to Ami and promptly spun on her heel and started back for the station. Ranma chuckled and waved, causing Makoto to toss him an obscene gesture.

"You really shouldn't antagonize her." Ami chided.

"Why not?" He asked. "Isn't this how brothers and sisters are supposed to act?" Ami wasn't prepared for his naive response, and thus had no ready response to his question. Having no siblings of her own only confounded the problem more.

"No. No, I don't think so." She said. "I mean, if I had a brother or sister I would want them to be my friends…not my enemies."

"There's a difference?"

Ami blinked and realized that Ranma wasn't joking.

"I…I think there is."

The young man seemed to pause for a moment weighing the merit of the idea.

"You really think she'd be my friend?" His expression was less than hopeful.

"Well, you did get off to a rocky start." Ami admitted. "But Makoto's a wonderful person. I'm certain that she will come around if you give her the chance. I doubt that teasing her will be helpful to your cause though."

Ranma looked a bit disappointed.

"It's so fun though."

Ami laughed and shook her head.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ranma felt his skin tingle with pleasure as Ami laughed. There was something in her smile that made his stomach knot as well. In fact her mere presence was making him antsy. It was a scary feeling, one that he didn't understand. He'd felt it a couple times with Akane, especially in those special moments when she would smile just for him. It was a feeling of being too hot and chilled at the same time.

When she shook her head, he couldn't help but watch the way her hair danced lightly around her head. It was like strands of black silk waving in a light breeze. A serious sense of déjà vu settled over him…a terrifying sense of intense familiarity. It made him want to reach out his hand and run his fingers through her hair, just as he had done…

Ranma blinked and noted with some embarrassment that his hand had started to leave his side. He growled silently and nervously presented Ami with the gift that he had bought for her mother. The act was enough to cut off any unpleasant memories that were bubbling to the surface.

"I…uh, well…it was supposed to be for your mom, but…well, since she ain't here and all…you might as well take it." He cursed himself for his clumsy words and rolled his neck in his agitation. Ami smiled and blushed a bit, but accepted the small blue box demurely.

"Thank you, Ranma-kun. I'm sure that she will enjoy it."

Ranma shook his head offhandedly.

"She can't have it."

Ami blinked and looked at him in surprise and with a great deal of confusion.

"She can't?"

"Nope. See, this here was meant to be a diversion. Somethin' to keep your mom occupied while I got away."

Ami frowned.

"You were going to leave my mother in the lurch?" she asked. Her voice was laced with disapproval. Ranma threw up his hands in a panic.

"Only if she started grabbin' me and stuff!"

He slapped his hands over his mouth and grimaced. The Saotome mouth had done it again. Stupid! STUPID! Stupid! He sighed and dropped his chin to his chest in defeat. This wasn't going the way it was supposed to. He wasn't exactly certain how it should play out, but he was sure that this wasn't it. He felt a whisper of a touch against his shoulder and looked up to see Ami smiling somewhat uncomfortably.

"She's a bit much to handle isn't she?" Ami asked. There was a tinge of pink to her cheeks that made Ranma's stomach lurch. He shrugged and sighed.

"Well, she's no Amazon, but she's got the potential."

"Amazon?" Ami blinked and took a step back to regard Ranma quizzically. He laughed and scratched his forehead, wondering how in the world he was going to explain Shampoo. He supposed that the beginning was always a good place to start.

"You ever heard of the Banyankala Mountains?"

Ami tapped her lip thoughtfully.

"Western China, Qinghai Province…right?"

"Whoa…" Ranma blinked. "I mean, er…yeah. Well, it all started just before me and Pops were supposed to come back home…"

Ranma turned subtly and started walking towards the entrance of the museum with Ami following attentively at his side. Neither noticed the multiple sets of eyes watching them from a number of different vantage points.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

He watched her. He had watched her since first feeling her cold spirit over a week ago, stalking her from the shadows, and she never knew that he was there.

Oh, how the mighty fall!

Isis would have sensed him the instant he had come within a mile of her. The Ice Witch would have been scanning for hostiles, pinpointing him within an instant of his arrival this close to her proximity. But this little girl was so secure in her little world, in spite of all the battles that she had already fought.

Marut felt terribly cheated.

His long awaited revenge would be hollow if this little slip of a girl wasn't up to Isis' level. And from what he could see, this was exactly the case. Her companion walked like a warrior, but from what he had seen of this world so far, that meant next to nothing.

"Sulking and brooding over the past will gain you nothing, Marut."

The demon growled at the sound of the female voice but did not turn from his vigil. The hackles on his neck rose in agitation.

"What do you want with me Agni?"

"It is not what I want, dear cousin…" The fiery, fox headed woman ran a playful finger along her pack mate's spine. Marut shivered and his growl became more menacing, causing Agni to laugh.

"If you want nothing cousin, then what pray tell, are you offering?"

"Besides myself?" She whispered coyly.

Marut snorted in derision, earning him a hateful glance from Agni. A thousand ways to kill this upstart entered her mind, but one seemed more appropriate above all the rest. Her feral smile and piercing gaze were lost on the demon before her; his attention was focused on the young woman talking to the human male as they stood in line to gain access to the building.

"You are truly obsessed, Marut." The beast ignored her barb in favor of watching Ami laugh at something. The beauty of the act…the freedom with which she allowed herself to live sickened him. There was no paranoia coiling about her, keeping her vigilant. This softness that had befallen Mercury made Marut want to vomit – and he would have, had the young man next to her not sparked a bit of curiosity in him. There was something about him that tingled the senses – some unknown factor that intrigued the Rhakshasa.

"Do not speak to me of obsession Agni, I know of my weaknesses and embrace them. What lame excuse do you cling to?"

Agni growled deep in her throat and stalked a few feet away from her would be lover.

"Can you believe this to be the same woman who gave me such a badge of honor?" Marut fingered his scar reverently, remembering the ice-cold fire that had marred his handsome beauty forever.

"Perhaps she is not your precious Isis, fool. Did that ever enter you small brain?" Marut, if he heard the barb ignored it.

"She wakes well before dawn, and pours herself into her studies, and yet that is the only thing that remains the same. Where is the warrior that fought Pasha Maharim to a standstill on the Plains of Uthien?"

"Gone. Scrapped and refined in the Cosmic Furnace, I suppose." Angi drawled, obviously bored.

"It cannot be!" Marut's fists smashed into the brick, reducing the small retaining wall to powder. "I can feel the putrid taint of Isis strong within this weak shell!"

Agni shrugged, uninterested. "She is a descendent, nothing more. The Ice Witch and their ilk have never been a part of the Great Wheel. Let it go."

"I will not! She is Isis reborn! I will bet my soul on it!"

"A bold, yet empty wager dear Marut. The Senshi of our time are long dead. What has replaced them is, by and large, nothing more than a great disappointment." Agni yawned.

Marut growled at her threateningly. "I will have my vengeance! The Senshi of Mercury will die at my hands!"

"As you will, Marut. But for now Ur has recalled us," It was with great satisfaction that she watched Marut's head shoot up. Panic was already setting in; she could feel his control fraying at the thought of not being able to face Isis again.

She smirked and tossed him the little tidbit that would be the catalyst to his doom. There was a colloquial saying that had been handed down from mother to daughter in her clan – "Wary be under the eyes of a woman scorned." It was truly too bad that Marut had never heeded colloquialisms. If he lived perhaps she would forgive him. Maybe he would learn not to ignore his betters.

"We have scouted and established our foothold. Our tasks here are done and we will be assigned a new task, effective immediately." The look on his face was priceless; fear, anger, rage, and a mad lust passed through his eyes.

"This cannot be! We will be returning, correct?"

Hope? This was too easy.

Agni shook her head as her trap was sprung. Obsessions were so effortlessly controlled. "According to Indra, we will be sent to serve our Dark Lord directly."

Marut scoffed openly, but Agni could see his frayed nerves continue to snap one by one. The true beauty of the whole event was the fact that she had spoken nothing but the truth.

"I serve no human," he growled.

Time to give him the reigns.

"Put away your vengeance, cousin. Yama has died provoking the Hunt Lord's wrath." Marut snorted again, returning his gaze to where Ami had been standing moments before. He could feel that she had entered the building, but he could no longer see her; something that troubled him greatly.

"The Hunt Lord will give us a feast the likes of which has never been seen! What is one little girl's soul worth next to the price of thousands?" She ran a fine-fingered hand up Marut's powerful back. He was long past feeling. This second offense destroyed any desire within to forgive.

"Who then will watch the Senshi?" His voice trembled in anticipation.

"Kubera."

"KUBERA!" Marut howled.

"The same." Agni feigned interest. It was well known among the Rhakshasa that Marut's thirst for vengeance was deep when it came to the Senshi. It was also known that Kubera hated Marut with equal fervor for dishonoring her before her family. She needed no excuse to rob Marut of his greatest desire. Agni knew it, and so did Marut.

Still, she couldn't let the fool run away without giving him a warning. It was whispered that the Dread Lord could read your very thoughts. If he thought that she had pushed Marut into this, she would suffer a worse fate than the one Marut faced.

"Think of all that you could gain in light of Yama's passing, Marut. Weigh the possibilities. Give Isis to Kubera and embrace greater power." Her voice was tantalizing, but Marut gave no impression that he had heard her. She turned away with a sigh and moved into the shadows of an air conditioning unit, drawing up the hood of her cloak as she went. Her smile was wickedly smug. There was a moment's hesitation, and then movement. She spun around, but found no sign of her pack mate.

"Poor, poor Marut." She crossed her arms before her chest and melted into the shadows laughing. If Isis did not finish him, then Indra would; and there would be one less obstacle between her and her beloved leader.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Yuriko watched the pair enter into the museum from her vantage point behind a large vertical banner, draped along the eastern wall of the museum. She had a wonderful unobstructed view through the crowd to snap a few discrete photos as the couple laughed. A warm giddy feeling filled her heart at the sight. Her baby had finally found someone to relax with. It was time to move into phase two of her plans. She just hoped that Nodoka didn't get cold feet. Another part of her prayed that that bastard Genma showed up to try and derail the budding romance. If he did, she was going to show him what the meaning of pain and torment truly were – her healer's oaths be damned!

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Nermia**

Yoshitsune was at odds with himself.

He had crossed a boundary that he had placed on himself over eight hundred and twenty five years ago. Guilt and confusion filled his heart at the thought of taking liberties with the Tendo girl – especially in light of her engagement to the Drumheller. The way that her father had reacted was more than disconcerting as well.

There were no screamed threats, no angry declarations, and no one had kicked him out or demanded seppuku. No, Tendo-dono had just sat and looked at Yoshitsune – calmly, thoughtfully…silently. It was enough to make his skin crawl with expectation. He knew that the sword was going to fall, and Tendo-dono knew that he knew. Yoshitsune wondered if it might not be better to just end it all now and save everyone the grief later on. Had it not been for the clinging darkness that had settled over the city, Yoshitsune might have done just that and been done with this mess.

The sight of Nabiki gliding through the hall caused his breath to catch in his throat. There was such a natural sensuality about the way that she moved. It was intoxicating to watch, and had she been anyone else he would have sat back and enjoyed the show immensely.

He needed to get out of this house! He needed to find the Drumheller and put an end to this. With a sense of desperation he sprang to his feet and ran after the young Huntress.

"Tendo-san!" He knew that she heard him. With those ears, who couldn't? "Tendo-san!"

She turned the corner and he heard a distinct musical noise. He rounded the corner just under full speed, and slammed bodily into the young wom…er…elf. They tumbled together to the floor in yet another compromising situation and with their bodies entwined as they were, Yoshitsune began to panic. With good reason, to be sure – Kasumi-san was standing in the kitchen doorway glaring down at them.

"You might want to get off, before something bad happens." Nabiki's voice was cold and dangerous – very much a growl. Yoshitsune scrambled to comply, doing his level best to keep his hands and body under strict control.

Nabiki, for her part, wasn't sure whether to laugh at Yoshitsune's blush or tear him a new one. This morning's floorshow was still wrecking havoc in the Tendo household (not to mention her heart), and Nabiki laid all the blame at Yoshitsune's feet. True, it wasn't really his fault, but he was a convenient scapegoat – and the kiss they had shared had been exquisite, she still hadn't forgiven him for the koi pond. She watched him scuttle for a moment, bouncing from foot to foot with uncertainty before extending his hand to her. She glared at him coldly and leisurely rolled over backwards and to her feet.

He gulped loudly and turned his head away trying to hide his raising blush. Nabiki smirked. This guy was almost as fun to tease as Ranma had been. Speaking of which…. Nabiki picked up the phone's receiver from the floor and winced at the sound of the dial tone. There was just no getting used to her new physicality. Sounds, sights, tastes, the feel of her clothes against her skin…every sense was augmented a hundred fold. The smells were the worst, and had it not been for Hato-chan's little tips…well, Nabiki didn't relish the idea of barfing every morning at the smell of Kasumi's breakfasts.

The poor girl was starting to notice too. There was no hiding the sad look in her eyes every time Nabiki excused herself early, leaving half her meal untouched. Nabiki hated it, but what could she do? The preservatives, pesticides, and other chemicals tasted like something Akane cooked! Not to mention the way it made her feel afterwards! Ugh!

She sighed.

No more Teriyaki Burgers from McDonald's. No more Cosmic Wangoo. No more of Kasumi's oatmeal raisin cookies either…there was no justice in the world. It made her want to cry.

She sighed and held the phone out at arm's length while she dialed. The conversation was likely to leave her with one hell of a headache, knowing how Auntie liked to ramble. But if she got the information that she wanted, a little pain was worth it.

"What are you doing?" Yoshitsune asked. Nabiki ignored him as the line began to ring. "We've no time for you to socialize! Can't you feel what's coming? We have to find Aramas!"

Nabiki glared at him from the end of the first ring all the way to the fifth, and held up her finger to ensure that the fool said nothing more. The way that her mouth formed a thin line caused him to swallow nervously and look for the nearest exit. There was little doubt in her mind that she could nail him a good one before he got himself completely through the door…

"Hello." Nabiki's head spun to the phone at the sound of Nodoka's voice.

"Auntie?"

"Nabiki-chan?" Her voice sounded concerned. Not a good sign. "Is something wrong? You sound so far away." The middle Tendo grimaced and glared at Yoshitsune once more for good measure before answering.

"Bad connection, Auntie. Look, I'm calling to see if you've heard from Ranma. He left on a training trip and hasn't called us yet." Nabiki paused and bit her lip indecisively. She wasn't sure whether she could involve the Saotome matriarch in this mess without worrying her to no-end.

:_Well, it was a little too late for that now wasn't it, Stupid?_: She should have thought this through better before calling. Still, one more pair of eyes was better than none – and if Ranma was planning leaving for an extended period of time, then it was likely that he would pay his mother a visit before leaving the city.

"Oh my! Didn't Kasumi tell you?" Nabiki's heart sank a little at the thought that Ranma had already been to see his mom. When it registered that Kasumi had information on Ranma that she hadn't shared…the hard plastic of the phone began to crack under the pressure of her grip.

"No. No, she didn't Auntie." It was hard to talk with her jaw clenched, but somehow Nabiki ground the words out in a cordial manner.

"Ranma's staying with me for a little while."

"Seriously?" Hotcha! Jackpot! "I'm so glad to hear that! We were so worried!"

It wasn't hard for her to sound enthusiastic. She had come to miss Ranma's presence in the house as much as Kasumi and her father. She also missed being needed, but she considering the tumult that her heart was in at the moment, and decided that that was one can of worms best left untouched. Now, all she had to do was test the waters for a visit.

"That's sweet of you dear. You're a very dedicated fiancée."

Nabiki squirmed a bit. The oh-so-sweet memory of this morning's kiss fluttered through her mind. Mother's Leaves! She hadn't felt this guilty since scorching Inesuzume's tail feathers…

Nabiki cut that line of thinking off viciously.

:_Stay in the present. Stay in the present._: She smiled and returned to focus to the conversation.

"Is he up for a visit?" She felt more than heard the hesitation in Nodoka's voice. Best to try and soothe the woman's fears. "Just Kasumi and I," Yoshitsune immediately jumped into her line of sight, gesticulating madly and mouthing something that Nabiki ignored. "…no one else. Promise."

:_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?_:

Nabiki winced as Yoshitsune's panicked mental voice boomed.

She wasn't sure how she did it, the reaction to his mental invasion was instinctual, but something deep inside her sang to the wood beneath her feet, causing it to bud in spite of having been dead for over fifty years. The vines that rapidly scrambled up Yoshitsune's legs and torso gave the man no time to run, let alone escape.

He "eeped!" and struggled to untangle himself from the thorny vines creeping up his legs. Nabiki smirked and turned her attention back to the phone when Nodoka began speaking again.

"I'm sure that will be fine dear. When would you like to come by?"

"Would this afternoon be too soon?" She asked hopefully. She had no idea how she was going to hide the ears, but she was certain that Hato and Kasumi could help her think of something. Maybe a turban…or something. She frowned at the pain that was likely to be involved, but seeing Ranma outweighed the discomfort involved. Maybe once she had given him what these bozos wanted, they would change her back.

"Well…" Nabiki heard the reluctance in Nodoka's voice and furrowed her brow. "…Ranma-kun is on an outing with a friend from school and won't be back until around seven thirty."

"A friend from school, huh?" Nabiki grinned happily. "How'd you get him to agree to go back to school, Auntie?"

"He hasn't actually started yet, but to be honest it was his idea."

Nabiki whistled appreciatively. The middle Tendo could feel the woman's proud smile through the phone.

"I'll be sure to keep this our little secret."

"I'm sure that Ranma-kun will appreciate that."

"So, do you think he'll be up for a visit?" Nabiki glanced back at Yoshitsune and noted with some pleasure that the vines had completely covered him from toes to mouth. The large thorns on the lower parts of the creeping plant ensured that he wasn't going to wiggle too much.

"I'm not certain that he will be up to it tonight. His first day of school is in two days – it's a field trip but he still has another battery of placement exams on Friday that he wanted to study for…." Nabiki could already hear the "but" dangling on the tip of Nodoka's tongue. "Just take it slowly please. He's still hurting terribly."

"I understand Auntie. No pressure. No talk of engagements or coming back to the dojo. How does Saturday afternoon after classes and clubs?"

:_SATURDAY? HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY WAITING UNTIL SATURDAY?_: Nabiki glared at her captive and the vines tightened ever so slowly, causing the man to stiffen.

"I think that would be fine dear." The relief was plain in Nodoka's voice.

"Great. Can we bring anything?" There was a pause.

"I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble."

"Nonsense! Kasumi was planning on doing some baking this weekend anyway. Any requests?"

Nabiki listened with half an ear to Nodoka hem and haw over Ranma's favorites. She positioned herself so that she could get a better picture of Yoshitsune.

:_Paybacks are Hell. You know this don't you?_: His mental voice was like thick velvet in her mind, sending chills down her spine.

:_Darling, I perfected the concept._: she purred back. :_Now, shut up before I ask the thorns to grow longer._:

To emphasize her point, one of the thorns nearest his crotch began to elongate. His eyes bulged, making her want to laugh.

:_You are evil._:

Nabiki just grinned nastily and returned her attention back to her phone conversation.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Hachi's Pub**

Nerima 

"We can salvage this, Tendo." Genma did his best to sound more confident than he felt. The booze was helping, but it could only take a man so far.

"But you saw what happened this morning!" Soun whined, literally crying in his beer. "They were about to…to…WHAAAH! My daughter's a slut!"

"Shhhh! Shhh!"

Genma sloppily tried to stop his friend from crying, but all he managed to do was over turn both of their mugs. The change took effect causing Genma's barstool to creak ominously beneath the augmented weight of a panda, rather than a man. Frustrated and not nearly as drunk as he should be for a conversation of this magnitude, Genma-panda smacked his drinking buddy upside the head with a large wooden sign. Soun paused in his weeping to blink fuzzily at what his friend was scribbling on the sign.

The handwriting was crude, terribly sloppy, and barely legible. But what could one expect from a drunk panda writing with a magic marker?

((Your daughter's not a slut.))

"She's not?" Soun's head felt terribly light and his mouth was dry. How could your mouth be dry when you were drinking? It never made sense to him.

((She's hurting. She misses Ranma and is trying to find someone to stand in for him.))

Soun frowned ponderously and nodded. That made sense.

"But she still kissed the boy!" He countered belligerently. Genma quickly flipped his sign and started scribbling. Soun wished he could be as clever as his friend. The smell of the marker combined with the smell of wet panda fur was really starting to affect Soun. Genma might be clever, but he suuuuure stank! Peeyew!

((All the more reason to find Ranma and nip this in the bud right away.)) The sign flipped. ((The sooner we get Ranma back, the faster we can kick these freeloaders out.))

Soun narrowed his eyes at the obese panda and knuckled his mustache. There was something terribly ironic about what Genma had just said…er, written. But Soun was too far into his drinks to know exactly what it was. He was distracted as yet another problem reared its ugly head.

"You have a point, my…my friend. But…(BELCH!)…but the boy's already made his feelings clear on the subject of the engagement." He laughed triumphantly and slapped the panda on the shoulder. "Solve that one, you fat furball!"

Genma-panda thought for a moment before the squeaky marker was moving again. He held up the sign, proudly displaying his wisdom for all to see.

((The boy doesn't know what he was saying.))

flip.

((He's still grieving.))

flip.

((You above all people should understand what he's going through.))

Soun stuck his bottom lip out sadly and wobbled on his stool a bit, sniffling. He heaved a shuddering sigh, and with a Herculean show of restraint shed one single tear.

"Right you are, my wise old friend." He sipped his beer dejectedly. "I know all too well what the lad's going through."

The panda patted his friend roughly on the back and produced a huge sign. He scribbled for a time, while his friend was content to ignore him. Genma-panda spun Soun around and pushed the sign against his nose.

((There you have it! We both know that the best way to work through sore muscles, is to stretch a bit and then get back to it!))

"I don't think…?" Soun started to point out the folly in his friend's logic, but Genma had already flipped the sign over.

((Is the heart a muscle?))

Soun scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Well, yes."

((Does it hurt when you think about the dead?))

"Deeply." The panda spun the sign triumphantly.

((There you have it! Get away from the memories for a stretch, and then get right back to it! Ranma's gotten away, now let's go get him back!))

"You're abs'lutly right!" Soun stood sloppily from his chair, full of…lots and lots of alcohol. He wobbled once before the panda reached over and steadied him. Soun hugged him like a great teddy bear. "You're a wise bear, Genma. Jus' like Winnie the Pooh."

((Who?))

"Never mind." Soun grabbed another bottle of beer from the counter and patted the panda on the arm. "So, where should we start lookin' for (URP!) for Ranma?"

((I have no idea. Let's ask Kasumi.))

"Your intelligence is blinding, old friend…" Soun blinked back the tears. "…oh, wait. That's the sun."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Somewhere in Middle China, at an undisclosed military base**

"The hunt went well, Savitri?" The ghostly image of Ahbrim Ur floated before Savitri, as the equine Rhakshasa knelt before its master.

"Yes, Dread Lord. We have taken this establishment and secured a number of humans that will serve your purposes." The cowering group of men and women behind Savitri shivered at the hunger and longing in the demon's voice.

Ur's image nodded at the sight of the scientists and technicians. "You have done well. Bring our guests to me, and then return to finish your feast. There are to be no witnesses. Am I clear?"

Savitri's mane bristled in anticipation. "It shall be as you command." Someone behind the beast moaned in despair, drawing a chuckle from the Rhashasha. It truly had been too long since he had feasted on humanity's fear and hopes.

A long time indeed.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Fukugawa Edo Museum**

Tokyo

"…Astral projection?" Ami shook her head trying very hard not to laugh. "You went on a date with an astral projection of an old man."

"It was a favor for the old coot. We thought he was dying." Ranma shrugged and tried not to look too uncomfortable. "Besides, I wouldn't call it a date or nothin'. I didn't kiss the old geezer or anything like that."

Ami saw the opening and in a moment of uncharacteristic bravery seized the opportunity.

"Is that what you do on a date?" Her impish grin proved that she was Yuriko's daughter. Ranma coughed into his fist trying to hide his blush. Ami's libido wrestled control over her mouth just long enough to add its two Yen to the conversation.

"Too bad this isn't a date then."

Ranma blinked uncertainly. It was obvious that he was trying to digest the idea that she had presented, and from the blush that was rapidly coloring his face he had made all the right assumptions. Ami turned away from the young man and focused her attention to the intricate model of the fishing village that had become present day Tokyo. A warm glow built in her abdomen and slowly grew, causing her body to feel flush. She felt as if she were glowing and desperately hoped that Ranma wouldn't notice.

She stole a glance at the young man through the reflection in the glass tabletop covering the model and noted with some trepidation Ranma's discomfort. He seemed to be struggling with something, his expressions passing through a gamut of expressions from confusion to fear to finally settle on something resembling an uncomfortable acceptance. She started to apologize and change the subject, but Ranma moved just a little closer to her to look at the model, stealing the opportunity.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The invitation was plain, if not completely unexpected. Ranma had been on the receiving end of so many propositions in the past that it wasn't hard to connect the dots. What he had issues with was the sudden torrent of images of kissing the girl at his side. There was one very tangible memory of a secluded grove somewhere…a park maybe…that surfaced with such power that it left him feeling restless and more than a little breathless. That had been a wonderful evening, and Ranma could feel the ghostly sensation of Ami's body in his arms.

Ranma swallowed heavily and tried to find his center. He hadn't ever been to a park with Ami. They'd never kissed. It hadn't happened.

_Yes, it did._

No, it didn't. He growled mentally.

He'd never held her like that or…or run his hands through her silky black hair. And yet, as he glanced down at Ami, the more sensations welled within him. Recollections of the woman's body, and how warm it had felt pressed against his, caused Ranma to take an involuntary step nearer to the young woman. There was suddenly a void that needed to be filled…something older than the more recent emptiness caused by Akane's death. His heart was pounding so hard that he was sure everyone near by could hear it.

He chanced a glance around and noted with some relief that the only people remotely near to them was an elderly couple. They were seated on a small bench near the entrance of the dimly lit exhibition room. Both wore warm and wistful smiles on their faces, and the elderly woman motioned him forward encouragingly. Ranma shivered nervously as the elderly man, wrapped his arm around his companion's shoulders and gave the young man a "thumbs up" and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Ranma scratched the back of his neck nervously and turned away from the pair. He wasn't certain what scared him most in that moment – the fact that he wanted nothing more than to follow the man's suggested lead, or the idea that Ami might want the same thing.

He wasn't sure where these feelings were coming from, and he could readily admit that they were starting to alarm him. And yet, in spite of this uneasiness, Ranma knew that his life was a little brighter with Ami around. She felt incredibly familiar and for the first time in…well, for the first time ever…he felt comfortable. There was no anxiety associated with her presence. Well, none that he was normally familiar with anyway. There weren't people looking over his shoulder expecting him to marry the girl, or fulfill some sort of unwanted obligation.

Ami did make him feel weird, but it was something natural – something equally pleasant and well-known. Whatever the feeling was, it was hard to describe but appreciated all the same. He felt a little guilty in acknowledging that, but in his mind's eye he knew that Akane was smiling at him.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Marut glided from shadow to shadow, trailing the young man and woman as they explored their primitive past along with a very large crowd of other sightseers. Had he been hunting anyone other than Mercury, the crowd would have tempted his hunger.

He had fed the night before, but the meal had been scrawny and diseased, leaving him feeling empty and malnourished. It was a certainty that he would need to feed well before confronting his prey; tonight most likely, for his time was short if Agni's words could be trusted. He smiled grimly, causing the elderly couple nearby to shiver and clutch each other's hands at the sudden dread they felt. After a few moments the pair hurriedly left the room, seeking solace and warmth.

_Flee before me cattle._ He thought hungrily. _Death comes for you soon._

If he could have chanced a bout of laughter, he would have. However he could already tell that his presence was being noted by the young warrior at Mercury's side. The demon grinned with feral abandon, and if the shadows that cloaked him had parted in that instant, both Mercury and her guardian would witness the lusting madness that had gripped Marut's mind.

Soon he would strike – upon the morrow for certain. The Rhakshasa gathered the darkness to him, pulling the heat from the room as he silently departed to feed and prepare himself for battle.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ami felt Ranma's body suddenly tense. Their proximity to each other had become intoxicatingly close, drowning out everything else in the room. The look on his face made her feel terribly on edge. It was as if he were a tightly wound spring ready to explode into action. She reached out, crossing the veil between them, and touched his arm. The sensation sent an electrical tingle coursing up and down her spine, causing her to shiver lightly.

"Is everything alright?"

Ranma looked down at her hand briefly before returning his stony gaze to the shadowy corner at the far end of the room. Ami followed his lead and felt a brief surge of fear and discomfort. She blinked and shook her head, but when she looked back at the dark alcove the sensation had fled.

Ranma sighed and popped his neck.

"I thought I felt something." He patted Ami's hand thoughtlessly, obviously pondering the corner for a long time before noticing that he was all but holding her hand. He blushed and smiled weakly. "Sorry."

Ami smiled coyly and shook her head.

"No need to be." She bit her lip nervously as Ranma slowly gripped Ami's hand in his. It felt hard and calloused, but held her smaller hand with such delicate care and attention that the young scholar was once again awash with wonder. She had seen him casually break steel with these hands, but now…it was as if she had become some extremely fragile porcelain that he was afraid to break. He smiled at her softly and looked back to the exhibit for a moment before moving around the table towards the room's secondary exit, drawing Ami with him.

She noted that he had placed the table between them and the shadowy recess. Something had obviously spooked him, for the stony determination that she had seen on his face in the alley had returned. It was an expression that made Ami's stomach tie itself in knots. No one had ever treated her this way and Ami was starting to like the idea. She allowed Ranma to lead her from the room and into the brightly lit main exhibition hall. As they meandered through the life-sized replica of the fishing village, Ami noted with more than a little glee that Ranma had refused to release her hand.

It was turning out to be an absolutely perfect day…one that she hoped would never end.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Hikawa Shrine**

Juuban

"Where's Ami?" Michiru asked, glancing at the clock worriedly.

The Senshi had all rushed together at Setsuna's request to discuss the newest threat to life, as they knew it. Unfortunately they had hurried only to wait for Makoto and Ami to arrive. Of the two team members, only Ami hadn't called or answered her phone, and when Haruka suggested they should use the Senshi all-call, Setsuna had shaken her head and asked for patience. Makoto had arrived only a short ten minutes later, carrying a large box of pastries and wearing an aggravated frown that sparked a lot of interest; no one was brave enough to ask the question that was on everyone's mind though.

"She's not going to make it." Makoto growled. "She's on a date with a punk ass jerk!"

The gathered Senshi blinked, trying to digest the idea that Ami, of all people, was on a date with someone. Usagi clapped her hands and whistled, drawing everyone's attention.

"It's about time!" She grinned enthusiastically, ignoring the gathering thunderhead that seemed to be forming around Makoto.

"I can't believe that you're on his side!" Everyone was surprised that Makoto had all but yelled at Usagi. That was Rei's job and it was obvious that the young Miko was feeling somewhat cheated.

"You're just jealous." Usagi stuck her tongue out at the taller girl.

"I AM NOT!" Makoto objected vehemently.

"Me thinks she doth prostitute too much." Minako quipped causing Haruka to snort her tea. The mannish blonde hacked and coughed, trying to clear her lungs of the hot liquid as her lover and adopted daughter clapped her back roughly.

"What?" Minako blinked at the stares the rest of the group was giving her. The glare that Makoto leveled her way made her shiver slightly, but nothing more was said.

"So who is this mysterious man of Ami's?" Rei opened the box of pastries and began doling them out to everyone.

"I already told you." Makoto grumbled. "A lousy no good jerk."

"Oh, stop being such a grouch!" Usagi frowned a moment before shoving the whole cream-filled croissant into her mouth. "Orwf husf maf feefuf heef feef fho!" Little bits of crumbs and partially crewed bits of pastry sprayed forth from Usagi's mouth.

The gathered friends simply blinked.

"You are so disgusting!" Rei deadpanned, wiping croissant from her face with a napkin.

Usagi just grinned and swallowed.

"Thanks!"

Michiru shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Could you please repeat that for the rest of us, Usagi?" Setsuna, to the shock of many, was barely concealing an irreverent grin.

"Thanks?" She said, plainly confused.

"No, stupid." Rei growled. "Before that."

"Oh." Usagi blushed, then began browsing through the box for another treat. "Makoto's just mad because Ranma beat her."

"Beat her?" Haruka shared a worried glance with Michiru. Makoto just snorted.

"You should have seen it!" Usagi stood up and began waving her arms around excitedly. "We were eating dinner, then Makoto starts bad mouthing Ranma and he like crushes a tea cup in his bare hand and cuts himself really bad but doesn't say anything because he's so cool and tough, then Ami-chan and her mom go into the kitchen to help him and Auntie Nodoka tells Makoto not to judge him and stuff, but Makoto ignores her." Usagi took a deep breath and before anyone can say anything else, jumps back into her tale. "There was a really loud crash from the kitchen and then I think someone slipped and fell. Ranma's mom went to check it out, and it turns out to be Ami's mom that fell. Then Makoto blamed it on Ranma…"

The blonde scrunched up her face, trying to mimic a grumpy Makoto, who just huffed and crossed her arms.

"'It was probably the bastard's fault.'"

Makoto growled viciously and bit into a cookie.

"I still bet it was. Stupid freak." Everyone ignored her in favor of an extremely animated Usagi.

"Then Ranma comes out and apologizes for the wait, saying that Ami-chan spilled some water on herself and went to change. Then Ami-chan came down dressed in this awesome white silk shirt with a dragon embroidered on the front," She paused again to wiggle her eyebrows judiciously and wink at Minako who was hanging on her every word. "…obviously one of Ranma's…."

"Did she look good in it?" The other blonde looked torn between the idea that yet another cute boy was lost to her, and the joy that her bookish friend was finally leaving the proverbial nest.

"Did she ever!" Usagi fanned herself.

"Sounds like Ami-chan's growing up to be my kind of girl. She's moving fast to get what she wants." Haruka quipped, earning her an elbow from Michiru.

"That's nothing! You should have seen how things shaped up later! Ami's mom freaked out and starts yelling that she thought Ranma was a cross dresser, but he's not." Mamoru frowned in disgust. "Then Makoto went and started bad mouthing Ranma again…"

"HEY!" Usagi ignored Makoto's outburst, building up even more steam.

"…and Ami got really pissed off and tried to slap Makoto," More than one set of eyes looked shocked at that revelation. They looked at Makoto with uncertainty, causing the young woman to shift uncomfortably. "But it was so cool! Ranma's like just sitting there taking everything Makoto's dishing out, but the second that Ami's hand came up…he like stopped her right before she connected. I didn't even see him move! That's when Ranma got this really smarmy grin on his face, like everything that Makoto was saying didn't even faze him. Then he reached out and pinched Makoto's nose and pissed her off even more!"

"He didn't!" Minako squealed. Her laughter caused Makoto's face to burn with indignation.

"Wait for it! That's not the best part!"

"There's more?" Setsuna's eyebrow rose. This was sounding vaguely familiar somehow.

"You bet your booties there is!" Usagi grinned manically. "Makoto comes out swinging and when she tried to deck him, a bowl of soup splashed Ranma! Ami like dives to stop the water or whatever from hitting Ranma, cause I guess she already knew about the curse, cause she was really freaked out about the bowl and not the curse." The room froze and blinked in obvious confusion.

"What curse?" Rei scratched her head. "When did he get a curse? I thought you said he was a cross dresser."

"No! No! No! Clean your ears out Rei! He's got this wicked cool curse that turns him into a girl when he gets splashed with water. Just like Seiya-kun and the other Starlights, only that they don't need the water."

Mamoru's disgusted frown had nothing to do with sexual preferences this time…well maybe it did, albeit remotely. Stupid damn boy bands. They were a pox on society!

"Well, Ami's awesome silk shirt was totally ruined, so Ranma like, stands up and she's like totally not wearing any support and it's really obvious that they're real." She winked at Haruka who whistled wolfishly, earning yet another wicked jab from Michiru. "Well, Ranma's just standing there and she's like looking down at Ami really sad and all, and says 'It's a curse.' And then tells Ami she's going to fill the furo so that Ami can get cleaned up."

Usagi paused to snag a quick drink, leaving Makoto an opportunity to take a jab.

"Don't forget all the commentary about sharing those...how did you put it? Embarrassing trips to the store…."

"You didn't!" Michiru looked totally scandalized. Usagi blushed guiltily and fidgeted.

"She did." Makoto smiled triumphantly now that everyone's attention was on Usagi. "I thought the whole instant girl-talk thing was classic myself."

"Usagi, how could you?" If anyone could sound like a scolding mother, Michiru could. The weight of her stare was exactingly heavy.

"I didn't think about it like a curse. I was caught up in the moment and it was so cool that he could change, you know?" Usagi protested. After a long and very uncomfortable instant her damning stare turned hard and swiveled back to Makoto. "But at least I didn't want to drive him out of his mother's house after being gone for all of ten years!"

Every eye widened and returned to Makoto. Hotaru blinked and clutched at Michiru's arm.

"He doesn't deserve her!"

"How can you possibly be the judge of that Makoto?" Michiru frowned.

"Like you're one to talk about judging, little Ms. Perfect!"

"Watch it, girl." Haruka growled.

"Oh, shove it where the sun don't shine, Haruka!" Makoto spat. "You don't know what that woman went through. None of you understands what that worthless piece of trash did to his mother."

"And you do?" Michiru's voice was icy and filled with distaste.

"Yes! I do!" Makoto started crying. "Auntie worked at the orphanage that I stayed at after my parents died. She took care of me, sometimes even took me home with some of the other girls on weekends. She…she would talk about the 'great and manly' Ranma Saotome…like he was a god or something. But he never wrote her. He never called and she would cry herself to sleep at night."

Minako wrapped her arm around Makoto's shoulder, only to have the young woman shrug out of her grasp.

"She was going to adopt me. I know she was. She had the paperwork and everything." Her voice became very quiet. "But she didn't."

"Maybe she will now!" Usagi said cheerfully. Makoto looked up at her princess and noted the unshed tears in her eyes. After a long moment Makoto nodded quietly and sighed heavily. "That means Ranma would be your brother though."

Makoto looked up at Usagi, uncertain whether she wanted to hug her for the earlier comment, or throttle her for rubbing salt in the wound.

"Look on the bright side. At least you might get the chance to beat the crap out of him again."

"You beat him up?" Minako whined. The prospect of a perfectly cute boy being pummeled just because Makoto didn't like him was…well, it was bad!

"More like he let her beat him up." Usagi snagged the last pastry out of Rei's hand. The raven-haired beauty glowered at her ominously, but Usagi gobbled the treat unmindful of Rei's ire. "If he'd been serious, Makoto would have been eating her shorts!"

"That'd be something worth seeing." Haruka's barbed remark nearly set off another row, but Setsuna stole the conversation's momentum before Makoto had the chance to retaliate.

"Please explain, Usagi. Do you mean to say that this Ranma person could beat Makoto?"

Haruka chuckled.

"Something funny, Tenou?" Makoto nearly leapt to her feet.

"Sure is, Kino." Haruka baited.

"Maybe you should challenge him then, Haruka. See how well you do." The young blonde haired woman snorted derisively and leaned back on her elbows.

"I don't think he's in my league."

"More like the other way around." Usagi licked butter and sugar from her fingers greedily.

"What's that supposed to mean, Koneko-chan?" Haruka asked sweetly. There was definitely a strained quality to her words though.

Usagi shrugged, not even registering the hidden emotion behind the woman's comment.

"I've seen him fight. He was letting Makoto pound him during their…whatever you want to call it" She gestured aimlessly with a napkin before plopping down onto her pillow next to Mamoru.

Makoto mumbled darkly.

"If he had been serious about fighting Makoto, she wouldn't have been able to touch him." Usagi looked to Makoto, who nodded her head reluctantly.

"She's right."

Everyone could feel how much it had taken to admit that. When Usagi continued, the small group felt a little more respect for Ami's new boyfriend.

"Mako-chan was beating the snot out of him though, and he just stood there and took it. Makoto was even close to powering up too! Her sigil was glowing and everything!"

"Say what?" Rei and Minako chorused.

"You can't be serious, Usagi." Setsuna protested. "Surely you're mistaken."

The young woman shook her head, causing her ponytails to liberally flog Mamoru and Rei. She continued with a wince and a glower as Rei caught one of her tails and yanked on it hard.

"Ranma's a tough character. He pounded those jerks that tried to rape us good."

"Rape?" Hotaru gasped and a number of voices rose in response to the revelation.

Usagi winced and shrugged.

"Long story." She quickly reviewed the event, and with Mamoru's help was able to tell it without too much fanfare.

"There's more to this Ranma than meets the eye." Mamoru said cryptically, earning him a poke just below the ribs from Usagi.

"Oh, don't be such a poo, Mamo-chan. Ranma's no enemy."

"How can you be so sure?" Haruka asked guardedly. Usagi rolled her eyes and shook her head in exasperation.

"Because Silly! The royal seal appeared on his forehead when he saved Ami and I from Itamu and those other jerks."

The room literally exploded with questions, causing Usagi to shrink behind Mamoru.

"QUIET!" Setsuna's voice bowled through the room, bringing with it the desired silence. Once order was restored, the stately woman leaned forward and stared at her princess seriously. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"

Usagi cowered even further behind Mamoru, going so far as to hide her face completely.

"I…I…didn't think of it."

"Please, describe him to me." Setsuna, out of everyone, was a person that you just couldn't say "no" to.

"Uhm…dark hair, tied into a really cute pigtail. He's about five nine, with a yummy body to die for…" Mamoru's head swiveled back to glare at Usagi. "What? It's true! He's got a washboard stomach and…well you get the picture." Minako looked disappointed that Usagi didn't continue. Mamoru looked as if he was ready to explode.

Setsuna pinched the bridge of her nose thoughtfully, obviously trying to remember someone of Ranma's description within the Royal Court. After a moment she turned her attention back to Usagi and gripped her arms tightly.

"What color were his eyes?"

"Ow, Setsuna that hurts!"

"His eyes, Usagi! What color are his eyes?" Everyone was worried that the tanned woman was going to start shaking Usagi.

"Bluish gray."

Setsuna's head fell low and her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably. Rei looked very concerned for the woman. Setsuna finally lifted her head and let loose a joyous laugh. It was such an uncharacteristic expression of happiness that everyone in the room flinched.

With tears in her eyes the woman released Usagi and grabbed Rei in a fierce hug.

"Don't you see? 'Ranma.' Ami's wild horse!" She laughed giddily.

"But…who is he?" Rei demanded. She was obviously confused.

Setsuna turned to Artemis and Luna with a manic grin.

"Who was Isis madly in love with?" Her inquiry caused both cats to flinch and twitch nervously. Artemis' tail swished back and forth as a clear sign of his agitation. "Artemis, you flea-infested mongrel! Who did you raise from infancy!"

Artemis and Luna shared equally stunned expressions. After a moment Luna's eyes filled with tears and she nestled her head against the white cat's chest.

"You…you don't mean…you can't mean…!"

"Do you really think she wouldn't send him forward with the rest?" Setsuna asked excitedly.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Usagi whined.

"But…I thought that…since he hadn't come before…" Artemis couldn't finish the sentence. His throat constricted painfully and to Minako's utter surprise, he began weeping.

"Who is this guy?" The sometimes Senshi of Venus demanded.

Setsuna smiled brightly, eyes filled with uncontrollable emotion.

"Hope and Salvation, Minako. Hope and Salvation!"

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Usagi knew that there was more to this whole thing, but for the moment she was content to let everyone vent. It was passed time for Setsuna to shed some tears. The fact that Luna and Artemis seemed content and happy was also a plus. Somehow though, Usagi knew that there was something else…something directly related to her…that was going to come back and bite her in the butt.

Right now that didn't matter though. Considering all the dark talk about the new enemy and Makoto's dislike of Ranma, this was a welcome change of pace. A very nice change of pace. She'd have to make sure that Ranma got a treat once she found out just who and what he was in the bigger scheme of things. Considering the way Setsuna was dancing around, clutching the cats, that might be a long time in the future though.

It was funny. Usagi would never have pegged Setsuna as someone that knew the Macarena.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Somewhere in the Amazon Basin**

"Serenity's blessing on you." The woman's voice was full of grace and cheer. It set Phau Set's nerves on edge. She took the offered bundle all the same and bowed gratefully.

"Thank you."

"Go in peace, Favored of the Seer." Phau Set's eyebrow twitched angrily, but she maintained her cool. It was the same thing at every house, booth, and shop in this infernal city! Favored of the Seer! What the hell was that supposed to mean?

She endured it. For two incredibly long and frustrating weeks she had endured it. No one had deemed it necessary to explain what the phrase meant, and she had refrained from asking out of respect for their hospitality. They had clothed her, fed her, and even vacated their homes so that she and her fellows could have a roof over their heads. The fact that these people could speak her tongue fluently only made everything more disconcerting.

None of it made any sense. She hated feeling like this.

She had decided early on that she must be going insane. A fever induced hallucination perhaps? Mousse, in a tender moment that still made her heart beat rapidly, had checked her forehead, only to report that she was fine. The next option was some kind of hysteria induced by mental fatigue. Considering all that she had been through, that seemed very likely.

Disturbing, but reasonable.

It was something that she was going to have to deal with, though. Alone too, it seemed. Mousse was lost in his own little world, trying his best to fend off the sudden fame that had descended upon him. He jumped at shadows now, and any time someone called him "Themus," the poor man looked ready to scream.

Her sister wasn't any help either. Xi Fu had practically gone native! The girl had been the first to embrace the customs of these people and had gone out of her way to get everyone else to follow her example. Why, the very first night, she had dressed in the scandalous clothing that these people wore and forced the same on Phau Set! Sure, it was comfortable in the heat, but it left the young Amazon feeling almost naked. More than once she had caught the stares of men following her when she passed them. It was flattering in one sense, but unnerving as well. She only wanted one man to look at her that way, and he was as blind as a bat.

Idiot.

"Why so grumpy?"

Phau Set ground her teeth at her sister's voice.

"Nothing."

"Right. Uh huh. Not with a sour face like that. You look like Elder Pi Yuan Ti." Xi Fu draped her good arm around Phau Set's shoulders and drew her close. Her skin was already showing signs of a tan, while Phau Set had to endure the tortures of sunburn. The short wrap around skirts and halters did little to protect one from the sun.

"I'm fine." She shrugged out of Xi Fu's embrace and continued to walk, forcing the other girl to jog to catch up.

"You're not fine. You haven't been fine since we got here." The concern in Xi Fu's voice was grating.

"I'm fine, I tell you."

"You eating next to nothing, you refuse to have fun, and you don't sleep at night."

"HOW CAN YOU?"

She hadn't meant to yell. Really. It was the stress.

She was tired of jumping at shadows and sleeping with the lights on. She was tired of closing her eyes and seeing the demons slaughtering her mother and father like sheep. She was tired of being in strange places. She was tired of crying when there was no one else around to comfort her! The tears rolled down her cheeks, cooling her face in the warm breeze. The shame of breaking down in public was too much. She had to get away!

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Xi Fu watched her sister run down the stone cobbled street and sighed. The beauty of this wonderful city seemed oppressive for the very first time since they had been welcomed here.

"Don't worry. She'll be okay." Xi Fu turned to see the young, Japanese boy, Kawasemi, reclining beneath a large tree. Xi Fu narrowed her eyes at the young man, not bothering to hide her suspicion.

"Who are you?" The boy ignored the question in favor of plucking a flower from the shady grass and inhaling its scent.

"Time is the real healer."

"Who are you?" Xi Fu tried to be a little more blunt with her tone this time. Maybe he hadn't heard her the first time.

"Time and love. Those two will heal any wound, no matter how deep."

"Who are you?" No sense in hiding her suspicions any longer. The boy had been conspicuously absent over the last two weeks, and in that time Xi Fu had discovered that no one in the city seemed to know who (or what) he was. She had asked the old man, Odan, but he simply smiled and moved on to another topic.

"Given enough time, you can forget just about anything."

"I won't ask you again." The Amazon settled in a loose ready stance and faced the young man. She was tired of games. As much as she loved this place and she was tired of people dodging her questions.

"You know something, Xi Fu Bai?" The boy's tone was wistful, as if he were looking back through the mists of time. "In the last ten thousand years, the people of the Earth still haven't developed any social skills."

Xi Fu's stance wavered a bit when the boy finally looked at her. It wasn't the fact that he had used her full name that chilled her to the bone. It was his eyes. His eyes weren't the bright, innocent eyes of a child. They were dark wells of forgotten sorrows.

"No one says 'please' anymore. It's always nag, nag, nag." He sighed heavily and leaned back against his tree with his hands locked behind his head. "No one takes the time to be polite. Show a little common courtesy to their neighbor. That Jesus guy had the right of it. You know…Golden Rule and all that jazz. Confucius and Buddha were pretty bright too. World would have been a much brighter place if people had slowed down a bit and taken their advice to heart."

Xi Fu watched him close his impossibly old eyes and sighed herself. The child…no, the being before her felt terribly old to her now. It was as if time had stopped and mixed itself up.

"Look kid. Even if I told you, it wouldn't mean anything. But if it makes you feel any better, the name's Kawasemi." He grinned ruefully. "I'm one of the 'Forgotten Ones.'"

Xi Fu held her breath, and then released it suddenly. She couldn't feel any malice from the figure before her. Quite the opposite in fact. It was like she was sitting with her great-grandfather or something. She relaxed her stance and bowed deeply to the boy.

"Please, forgive my actions." She was surprised when Kawasemi patted the grass beside him.

"Let it go." His smile was open and genuine, relaxing Xi Fu even more. "You've been through a lot, kid, and I'm too old to hold grudges anymore. Come here and sit down."

Xi Fu nodded and looked about self-consciously before settling a couple of feet away from the reclining boy.

"Don't worry. I won't bite." His grin was terribly irreverent. Just like her great-grandfather's had been.

"If you do, I'll bite back." She matched his grin, causing the boy to laugh.

"Cain's gotten a lot better about choosing his women!"

"Cain? Who's that?" Xi Fu asked.

"Ozmandius Cain. The son of Aries and first cousin to her royal highness, Narya, the Princess of Mars. Commander-in-chief of the Ul'Huld." Kawasemi winked at Xi Fu. "Better known in this life as Ryouga Hibiki."

Xi Fu blinked and then narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"You're mocking me, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question. And by the tone, it was easy to tell that Xi Fu wasn't happy with the prank.

"Look, kid. I don't joke around anymore." Kawasemi closed his eyes and draped one leg over the other. "It takes too much energy to try and think up something original nowadays."

"You're serious!" Xi Fu looked pole axed. "But, how can this be?"

"Magic, kid. Plain and simple." Kawasemi plucked a blade of grass from the ground and began to chew on one end. A warm breeze caused the leaves of the tree to rustle.

"Magic?"

"Magic." The boy smiled at the dazed look on his companion's face and grinned. He craned his head to look up into the branches of the tree. "She didn't faint. You owe me an apple old friend."

To his chagrin, an apple fell from the tree's branches, smashing onto his very large nose.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Somewhere in the city of Aumemmnon

"Ask me again!"

Mousse cringed at Ryouga's enthusiastic voice and wondered, not for the first time, whether or not he could actually break the other boy's jaw. It would probably cost him the use of his hand for the rest of his life, but at this point Mousse thought that the price of peace just might be worth it.

"Come on! Ask!"

It was like listening to a kid tell a cute story. The first few times he had done this had been cool, funny even. But after twelve days of the same thing, Mousse was ready to commit murder. The blind Amazon sighed and shrugged. There was no escaping the inevitable. Ryouga was as tenacious as he was dense, which meant that no matter what Mousse did, this infernal line of questioning would continue. He silently wondered which gods he had offended to deserve such an insidious fate.

"Come on Mousse! Ask me already!"

"Fine," the Amazon growled darkly. "Where are we?"

"Heehee!" Ryouga clapped with childish glee. "Brazil, the Amazon Basin. Latitude: Sixty-seven degrees west. Longitude: Two degrees south. Avenue of the Moon, Aumemmnon. There's Tu'Xui'Kubo's house over there, and two doors down is Buoto's shop, and over there…."

Mousse tuned out the rest of his companion's drivel. Ten days! TEN DAYS! He needed a break. He needed something new to occupy his mind, something that had nothing to do with Ryouga's irritating celebration of the miraculous recovery of his sense of direction. If he didn't find something soon, someone was going to die.

Horribly.

"OH! Look there!"

Mousse glanced up at the fuzzy white blotch that seemed plastered against the large blurry expanse of blue and sighed. A dark halo seemed to be creeping in on the edges of his eyes, causing Mousse to wonder what time of day it was. Hadn't they just had lunch an hour ago?

His glasses were getting worse day in and day out. He had just bought this pair before going to China too. Stupid Japanese doctors. You'd think for all the money that he paid them that they would at least give him something that lasted more than six months!

"What am I looking at Mr. Mapquest?" The disgruntled Amazon put as much acid into his words as he could.

"The Library of Beth Usel!" Ryouga's voice was filled with awe. Mousse frowned. Where had he heard that name before? It sounded familiar.

"Another monument building. Yipeee. Whoohoo." Mousse yawned and squinted up at the building. His efforts only seemed to make things worse rather than better. It was hard to be excited about anything after being drug around the town all day, especially if you couldn't see any of it. A rough slap to Mousse's shoulder sent him staggering.

"Stupid! This place's been around for thousands of years! Show some respect." Mousse glared at Ryouga as best he could, hoping that the mountainous blur to his left was the formerly Lost Boy and not some innocent bystander.

"And just how do you know that, Pig Boy?" Mousse smirked as his companion opened his mouth to respond but shut it just as quickly. It was easy to "see" that Ryouga had no idea what he was talking about. "Well?"

"Shut up, Mousse." Ryouga's voice took on a very dangerous tone.

"No. Really. This is too good to pass up, Mr. Tour Guide," the Amazon teased. "What's so special about this Library of Beth Usel?"

"You should remember, Seer." Mousse and Ryouga turned at the sound of the ancient voice to see Odan Vundensdey, the Patriarch of Aumemnon, seated in the shade of the lower steps leading up to the Library. "It was you who laid the corner stone."

"What did you say?" Ryouga narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Old man, you must be living in the past." Mousse scoffed, folding his arms in his voluminous sleeves.

"I can hardly seem to escape it." It was hard not to note the underlying bitterness in the old man's voice. "I've watched the world grow old, Mu Tsu Tseng. For over ten thousand years I have watched the rise and fall of nations. All due to a prophecy that you whispered in my ear the night of Mome's Solstice."

Mousse turned to Ryouga nervously and edged slightly away from the man seated before him.

"You cannot run from Destiny, Mu Tsu Tseng." The old man grinned toothlessly from his shadowy seat, and in a moment of complete clarity, Mousse could see the man perfectly. His face was weighted down with wrinkles and a golden eye patch bearing intricate carvings across the surface covered one eye loosely. "Take it from one who knows." Odan began to cackle wildly and shook his head at some hidden joke. His face reminded Ryouga of a dried prune.

"You don't expect me to believe any of this, do you old man?" Mousse adjusted his glasses uncomfortably.

"'The Eye of Truth.

The Tree of the World.

Gunir's Haft.

Your neck stretched long,

For nine times nine Secrets lost,

On the Winds of the past.

"'Five seals to carry in the Name of Law.

Five seals to bind the Shame of Justice.

Three seals to mend for the Name of Hope.

Three seals to rend for Hope's Rebirth.'"

There was an undeniable weight of power Odan's words. It caused Ryouga to squirm, but Mousse simply stood and stared at the man.

"Your terms, Wordbinder. Your curse." Odan coughed raggedly and struggled to his feet with a little help from Ryouga. He nodded his thanks to the young man and stretched his back as much as he could. The creak and pop of his old bones echoed off the steps. "I've carried the Five and bound the Five. I've one to fix and three to break, so let's get to it. I'm getting tired of this bag of flesh that I've become."

"What do you mean?" Mousse asked hesitantly. Odan had already clamored up a group of stairs and was hobbling his way up another set.

"I mean that I'm tired, Farseer." Odan called over his shoulder. "You try living for ten thousand years and see how spry you feel!"

"That's not what I mean, damnit!" Mousse ran up the steps, following the growing blur of the old man. He could hear Ryouga pacing him to his left. "Why did you call me Wordbinder? What's all this business of being a Seer? What the hell aren't you telling us?" Odan stopped two steps down from the top of the stairs and cackled. It was one of the most unnerving sounds that either of the men had every heard.

"Oh! The irony!" Odan wiped his eyes with the back of his splotchy sun baked hand and sighed. "You, asking me to explain things! That's rich!" He started coughing again. "Hee! That made it all worth it! Hee, hee!" Ryouga scratched his head as the man fell further into his fit of laughter.

"You're insane, old man." Mousse frowned and turned away, intent on leaving both Ryouga and the ancient loon to their own devices. "I'm leaving."

Odan snorted mockingly.

"And where do you think you can run Mu Tsu Tseng?" Mousse paused and glanced back over his shoulder.

"Are you threatening me? I won't be held prisoner here." A deadly note entered Mousse's voice as he turned to face Odan.

"Don't be stupid."

"Then I'm leaving."

"Fine." All mirth drained from Odan's voice. "But before you go, tell me." Mousse paused after his third step.

"Tell you what?"

"How are your eyes doing?"

Mousse spun and sent a hail of shurikan whistling towards the decrepit man. Had Ryouga not been there, there was little doubt that Odan would have become a rather ugly pincushion. The former Lost Boy scooped the elder man into his arms and vaulted over the hail of sharp projectiles, landing closer to the great crystal doors of the Library. There was a great band of gold sealing them from intruders. Had Ryouga not been so occupied, he would have marveled at the intricate runes that had been etched into the metal's surface.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING MOUSSE?" Ryouga settled the old man to the ground behind him, and moved into a tight ready stance.

Mousse ignored Ryouga and moved intently towards Odan. The closer the blind martial artist came to the Library, the darker his vision became. Unnatural shadows skittered across his vision until at last he could see nothing. The Amazon drew a wicked looking naginata from the depths of his robes and brandished it before him.

"I CAN'T SEE!" Mousse cried out. It was hard to reign in his panic. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY EYES, OLD MAN?"

"Nothing, foolish boy. You've done it to yourself."

"How?"

"You crossed the Threshold of Memory." Mousse immediately started to back away, hoping to cross whatever magical barrier had stolen what little sight he had left. "Stop him Ryouga, before he hurts himself."

There was a moment of hesitation, and then Mousse heard the rustle of cloth. He immediately brought his pole arm to bear. It was a clumsy strike that Ryouga blocked easily. Mousse felt the naginata lift and dip in one smooth and rapid motion, and then it was trapped.

"TRAITOR!" He bellowed, shifting his weight even as he screamed to deliver a devastating kick to Ryouga's head. It was blocked, and Mousse found himself lifted - via the naginata - and spun in a tight half circle. He hit something incredibly hard, a column he supposed, and felt the wind driven from his lungs.

"Cool it, Mousse." The Amazon refused to listen to his companion, drawing a wicked looking scimitar. He swung at the sound of Ryouga's voice and immediately regretted it, as the other martial artist's fist smashed his fist into Mousse's face. There was a loud resounding "CRACK!" that left Mousse dazed and weak in the knees.

"I said cool it, Mousse." Mousse couldn't see it, but from the sounds of it Ryouga crossed his arms over his chest. The Amazon could easily imagine the disapproval in his companion's eyes.

"Why are you defending him?" Mousse hissed. He could feel blood trickling from his throbbing nose and his eyes were watering.

"He's a helpless old man. It's the right thing to do."

"Moron! If he's so helpless, then why can't I see anything?" Ryouga shifted his weight, and from the way that his breathing quickened, Mousse knew that he had turned to stare at the old man. "He's some kind of magician!"

Odan chuckled scornfully, causing Ryouga to shift his weight again.

"I'm the best magician in the world, thanks to you, Mu Tsu Tseng."

"Why do you keep saying that? Before two weeks ago, I never even knew you existed! How can I be responsible for anything concerning you?"

"Finally, you're starting to ask the right questions." Odan's voice seemed very pleased, if not somewhat sympathetic to Mousse's confusion. "My question to you is are you willing to pay the price for the answer?"

"What price?" Ryouga spat. The distrust in his voice was almost…visible.

"I believe every man should go into something with his eyes open (no pun intended, Mu Tsu). If you know the price, and you choose to pay…well, you get what you pay for, don't you?" The old man grinned. "That way, the bastard can't complain when the consequences of his actions bite him in the rear." Odan looked pointedly at Ryouga and laughed.

"How much?" Mousse growled. He pushed himself to his feet and tried to remember his position in relation to everything – a chore, considering the fact that everything had been little more than a blur to begin with.

Odan chuckled.

"What makes you think I know? Walk through the Doors of Fate boy." The creak of the old man's joints made it clear that he was pointing behind him at the large doors. "Make the choice to pay whatever price it takes to get your answers."

"It sounds too easy." Ryouga grumbled.

"Good! You're learning."

Mousse frowned and directed his attention to where he had last heard Odan's voice.

"How do we know that the answers we want lie behind those doors?"

"You don't." There was no mistaking the smile in the old man's voice. "However, I do."

"And we're supposed to trust you?" Mousse countered.

"Do you have any choice?"

"Can I get my sight back in there?"

"After a fashion." What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why did he have to sound so damn smug?

"Fine. Let's go." Ryouga growled as he grabbed Mousse by the wrist and started dragging the blind martial artist in through the doors of the Great Library. Mousse put up no resistance and allowed himself to approach the doors. The sense of foreboding was overwhelming. There was a smell in the air that Mousse could only catalogue as…magic. Dangerous magic, too.

Odan began to chant. His raspy voice seemed to dissolve on the wind, replaced by a strong, young voice that reminded Mousse of long cold nights staring up into the blackness of the void. There was a resounding groan, and then the ringing boom of a large metal object impacting stone.

"Last chance to run away!" Mousse could hear the maddening grin in the ancient man's voice. Rather than suffer the shame of turning tail, Mousse squared his shoulders and marched forward. Ryouga moved with him.

Looking back on that decision, both young men knew that there was only one person to blame for the consequences of their actions: Ranma Saotome.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Uosan Sakaba 

Koto-ku, Tokyo

"Thank you for the wonderful day."

Ami smiled as she laid the Moriawase skewer on her plate. While she wasn't one for seafood, the grilled shrimp and scallops tasted superb. Ranma had ordered the Ika Yaki, and had offered Ami a bite. She'd never tried grilled squid before, but she was certain that she'd try it again if Ranma offered her another bite.

"No problem." The young man across from her looked a tad bit uncomfortable as he ate, and when Ami had confronted him about his nervousness, he'd confessed that he wasn't used to eating in restaurants.

She'd learned so much about the young man in the short time they'd had together. His stories were amazing and had anyone else told them, Ami would have written them off as embellishments. But with Ranma…there was something about him that just screamed honesty. Ami was certain that everything he said was true, regardless of how incredible or supernatural it sounded.

Their conversations had flown naturally, with very few dead moments. It was an incredibly foreign sensation for her to be so relaxed with a boy that she barely knew. The only young man that had ever put her this much at ease had been Umino. Yet, where Umino was little more than an intellectual acquaintance, Ranma was someone infinitely more appealing to Ami. An indelible quality surrounded him that made her feel safe and special.

"Have you enjoyed yourself?" She asked.

He didn't answer right away and, something in the pit of her stomach lurched as he sipped his tea with a far away look. Perhaps it was a hope for a positive answer, or fear that he would brush her aside. Whichever the case, Ami's stomach was tied in knots as the young man finished his tea and took his time setting the cup down.

"Yeah. It was fun." He smiled sincerely and she sighed notably. "At first, I thought that the museum was going to be boring you know?"

Ami winced. Why did everyone think that museums were boring? She found them incredibly exciting. It was the whole reason she loved museums. They could sweep you into another time or place, stealing you away from the weight of living in the modern world. She looked up from her thoughts as Ranma continued.

"But the way that you talked about everything…" He paused searching for the right words. "…Well, it painted this really cool picture for me. And with all the old buildings that they had and stuff, it was like we had traveled to the past, you know?"

Ami couldn't contain the happy smile that bloomed.

"I always used to think that history and stuff like that didn't mean nothin' to people today. I mean everyone's always sayin' 'learn from the past and plan for the future' – but, I never really got what they were sayin' till today. Lookin' at how Edo turned itself from a little fishing village, into one of the largest cities in the world…" He paused again, tugging on his pigtail nervously. Ami thought the gesture was adorable.

"It was really neat, you know. It made me feel a part of something…you know, bigger." Ami, caught up in watching the way his hands had begun unconsciously folding the check into an origami dragon, didn't notice his blush or the way that his face fell.

"Aw, Hell. Ya probably think I'm stupid."

Ami blinked at the self-depredation.

"Not at all! How can you say that about yourself?"

"C'mon, Ami-chan. You don't have to be so nice about it." Ranma set the paper dragon down between them and absently began to stir the small remnants of his meal about his plate. "I ain't smart like you."

"That's not true, Ranma-kun." Ami fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably. The conversation was taking a decidedly undesirable turn into territory that she'd always avoided at all costs. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the praise she received for her hard work, but in moments like these, she wished that she was just like everyone else. She hated having her peers compare themselves to her. Ranma shook his head jadedly.

"Sure it is. I mean, I saw your mother's office this morning. All those awards and trophies and stuff…heck, you even had your picture taken with the Prime Minister. There ain't no way that someone like me'd ever get his picture taken with somebody famous like that."

"It wasn't all that great." Ami confessed. "It was a lot of forced smiling and posing. I hated it. Besides, I find you incredibly intelligent, Ranma. In fact, I think your selling yourself short." Ranma looked skeptical for a moment then abashed.

"You don't got ta make me feel better, or nothing."

"I'm not." She said bluntly. "How many other people could have developed a counter for this 'Shi Shi Hokudan' that you told me about?"

Ranma shrugged.

"From all the stories that you've shared with me today, it is apparent that you are a resourceful and creative person Ranma."

"But, I ain't book smart, like you." He protested stubbornly.

"Maybe not yet, but that doesn't mean that you couldn't be." She smiled warmly. "Anyone can memorize a series of facts Ranma, but that doesn't make them smart."

"It doesn't?" Her smile broadened.

"Of course not. A truly intelligent person learns how to apply what they've learned. For example…" She tapped her bottom lip with her chopsticks as she pondered an analogy. "How do you know when it is best to throw a punch instead of blocking?"

Ranma stared at her as if she were asking a silly question.

"I know it must sound like a very basic question to you, maybe even silly, but it's an honest one. Humor me." She set her chopsticks aside and folded her hands on the table, leaning forward slightly to encourage an answer from the young man. For his part he simply shrugged, uncertain how to proceed.

"I guess it depends on the situation."

"But you do know the ideal strategy behind the use of both, right?" He nodded. "How did you learn the differences?"

This caused him to lean forward himself. He scratched the side of his head thoughtfully and smirked.

"Pops beat it into me. He'd pound me until I started blocking, and we'd spar for hours until I found an opening to exploit." Ami frowned at the teaching method employed, but she also saw that Ranma was catching on. "I guess experience was my teacher."

"Exactly so. Knowledge, any kind of knowledge, if it isn't applied correctly, remains a jumble of useless facts." She instinctively reached across the table and touched Ranma's hand. "You are an innovative person and given time and dedicated focus, I'm sure that you will become 'Book Smart' if that is what you want to be. In fact, I believe that you can be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it."

Ranma looked down at Ami's hand and his face colored. Ami quickly followed suit and started to pull her hand away. She was totally surprised when Ranma's hand covered hers. She looked into his stormy blue eyes and found herself swallowed by an ocean of gratitude and appreciation.

"No one's ever told me that before. Thanks." He smiled and released her hand.

"That's what friends are for." She mumbled self-consciously.

"I ain't had any friends like you then." He admitted.

Ami beamed with pleasure. Ranma refreshed Ami's tea before pouring some for himself.

"Here's ta friends." Ranma raised his cup. Ami quickly followed suit.

"May we always be there for each other." She added.

Ranma nodded and their cups chimed together in the low light of the candle set between them. She watched Ranma down the entire cup in one swallow, and followed suit immediately. The young genius was surprised to see Ranma's hand stretched across the table, pinkie finger extended towards her. Without hesitation she looped her pinkie around his, sealing the pledge.

"Friends forever." Ranma whispered. Ami felt a heat welling in her heart and she was awash in a sense of Déjà vu. Words came rushing forth, as if a dam had broken.

"For love, for honor, for you. Yesterday, today, and forever." Ranma blinked uncertainly, but after a moment he smiled and nodded, accepting the oath for what it was.

Once spoken, the pact was sealed, and Ami felt that she had somehow filled a very large void in her soul.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Aumemnon**

The Plains of Uschel

Kawasemi glanced back at the city as a large column of red fire shot heavenward. He grinned back at Xi Fu and pointed to the rising pillar.

"Your boyfriend just woke up."

"He's not my boyfriend." Xi Fu blushed and turned away. Yet, her eyes continued to glance back at the fiery column. Kawasemi shrugged and continued forward.

"You could do worse."

Xi Fu ignored him. They walked in silence for a time, before the Amazon spoke again.

"Where are you taking me?" When the odd little boy did not answer, she kept repeating her question until he stopped and glared at her.

"The powers that be are pulling out all the stops to revive the past. I don't disagree with the move, but I'm not one to place all my eggs in one basket either. Let the children of the present deal with present troubles."

"What does that mean?" Xi Fu asked guardedly.

"That, Pumpkin, means that you and your sister need to pay very close attention to what I'm going to teach you."

"Teach us?"

"Not 'us'. You." He shook his head and continued walking up the trail. "I teach you. You teach her. The pair of you teach others. You're gonna be my heir girl, and you're gonna make me proud by using what I teach you to beat the crap out of the Rhakshasa."

"Why me?"

"Why not? You're smart, strong, and have a killer set of legs." Xi Fu blushed and bit back the urge to smack Kawasemi on the back of his head. "You also don't have any exploitable ties to the distant past. Not yet, at least."

Xi Fu wasn't entirely sure what to make of that statement, so she let it drop. They walked in silence for a long time, some forty-five minutes it seemed, before they arrived at a large stone doorway set into the side of a cliff. Unlike the portal that had led into Aumemnon's valley, this door was clear of vines.

The carvings on its surface were intricate and, from what Xi Fu could tell, told the history of a race of bird headed men. The pictures showed the creatures teaching various crafts and skills to mankind, everything from weaving and agriculture to art and warfare, all the while learning from humanity even as they taught.

"Mankind's been good to the tribes." Kawasemi's voice shed its youth, becoming ancient and dry. Xi Fu turned and was amazed to see a raven headed man leaning heavily against the door. His gnarled clawed hands reverently traced the carvings, and his beak seemed to crook in a smile as he turned to the young Amazon.

"We've learned a lot from them. We learned how to love, how to nurture, and most of all how to live. Your lives are so short and yet you do so much." He chuckled dryly, a sound that reminded Xi Fu of dried leaves crackling underfoot. "Your kind taught my people to live with passion at a time when we were ready to lie down and die. It's hard to forget a debt like that."

"Is that why you will teach me?"

Kawasemi snorted and shook his head.

"Hell, no! I'm teaching you because you've got talent, girl. Talent, and a desire to learn. Don't forget that." He motioned to the door and pushed her forward. "Now open the door and let's get started. We've a lot to do and no time to do it."

Xi Fu looked at the great door, but saw no handle to open it with. She tried pushing it inward, but found it impossible to move. More than a bit of apprehension filled her as she turned her attention back to her new teacher. His large, dark eyes tracked her every movement, and something he said earlier that day came back to her.

"In the last ten thousand years, the people of the Earth still haven't developed any social skills."

Bowing deeply at the waist, she stepped back from the doorway. Without raising her eyes from the ground, she smiled and motioned Kawasemi forward.

"Oh, wise Elder. Will you please show me the way to open this door?"

Kaewasemi cawed brashly in what Xi Fu thought must be laughter. He rapped her lightly on the top of her head with his bony knuckles before approaching the door. She grinned up at him irreverently, drawing more laughter from the aged creature.

"Careful girl, your ego is showing." There was no doubt that he was smiling now, which filled Xi Fu with a hunger to do her best. For Kawasemi, it was a perfect moment. His pupil passed her first and most important test. Knowing when to accept her limitations. Everything else was going to be icing on the cake.

He tapped five images in succession, each representing what Xi Fu thought was a primal element: water, earth, fire, air, and something that might have been…spirit? She wasn't certain if she was right or not, but it really didn't matter. Not yet at least. All that mattered was the way that the doors began to grind against each other. The ground shook ominously as the portal opened and a blast of cool, musty air exploded across Xi Fu's face.

Her blood sang in her veins as the doors finished opening with a large boom. There was another solid tremor as something locked them in place. The darkness just ahead held no terror for her, only promise. She did not hesitate to enter when her new teacher motioned her forward. She did not look back either.

The future lay before her and she embraced it only as an Amazon could.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Kawasemi smiled as Xi Fu voiced her excitement with a battle cry that had been handed down throughout the three thousand years of Chinese Amazon history. They had forgotten who taught it to them and what it truly meant. But Kawasemi hadn't. He still remembered the day that he had taught it to little Kho Min.

"'Life is beautiful' indeed."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Aumemnon**

The Library of Beth Usel

"I didn't ask for the job. But I got it anyway." Odan's toothless grin unnerved Ryouga. They had been walking in darkness for some time now, and it was starting to get to the Lost Boy. "Keeper of Seals. Steward of Memory. That should have been Setsuna's job."

The name caused Mousse to tense slightly.

"I wasn't anointed by the Threy. I wasn't even born on Pluto! The damn pale skinned bastards still sent you after me though, didn't they?" Ryouga knew that Odan was talking to Mousse, but if his companion heard one word of the ancient man's litany he gave no sign.

"How much longer are we going to wander in the dark?" Ryouga asked tersely. He was getting tired of the old man's constant rambling.

"You tell me, Cain. You and the Farseer control this trip. I just opened the door."

"What? I don't get it?" Ryouga scratched the side of his head. Odan laughed bitterly.

"Oh, the times they are a changing! The day that Ozmandius Cain didn't have an answer…who would have thought that I'd live to see the day!" Odan cackled.

Ryouga growled and then sighed. What was the use? They were lost in the middle of a cavernous building in complete darkness. It was a cruel joke that the gods were playing on him. To give him clarity, only to steal it away from him again. What a pointless life.

"H…here now!" Odan stammered. "No need for that!" Ryouga felt the old man pat him lightly on the shoulder.

"All you need to do is remember what you came here for, eh. No need bringing all that negative energy to play. Come on, both of you. Pull up your bootstraps. You wanted answers, didn't you?" Ryouga nodded and was surprised to note that he could see the blurry outline of Odan's splotchy bald head.

"Well, they're not just going to be handed to you. You need to work for them." Odan slugged him in the arm. Ryouga barely felt it. "You told me that the day Narya was inducted into the Senshi."

A hazy gray fog began to replace the blackness, causing it to fall away completely. A wondrous throne room spread before them. A sense of déjà vu overwhelmed Ryouga as he looked up at the vaulted ceilings and the beautiful frescos.

"That's the ticket, m'boy! Well done." Odan crowed.

"I know this place."

"You should. You lived here all of your previous life."

"This was Faijid Heddron. The Palace of King Hammad." Ryouga turned and immediately saw a tall, dark haired man. He wore a pure white head wrap, bound with a golden chain. To his right a stunning woman with long black hair began to appear. Her face was covered in a thin gauzy white veil, and she wore the most stunning white dress that Ryouga had ever seen.

"Queen Thessaly." Memories. Hundreds of memories cascaded in the back of his mind at the sight of the woman. Ryouga took two steps forward, reaching up to touch her face. She smiled down warmly at him, but did not stop his hands.

"Aunt Thessaly…. She took care of me when mother died." He turned to face King Hammad. "Father had taken her to wife a year after he and mother had married. They had a son." Ryouga scrunched his face, dragging the memories forth from the darkness.

"Rhamud! Feid Rhamud!"

Odan was smiling happily as Ryouga began to see his family.

"Rhamud died when I was six. I was named head of the Ulhuld the very next week." The throne room fell away, replaced by a balcony that overlooked the light blue-green sky of Mars. Ryouga walked forward to the edge and looked down over the orderly columns of the vast army of Mars. Their numbers stretched as far as the eye could see, and their power had easily matched the might of any two armies within the system.

"And who came after you?" Odan asked quietly.

"Narya." The name brought back so many warm memories. Ryouga watched as they played out before him. He had been there the day that Aunt Thessaly had given birth to his half sister. What pride he had felt at the sight of her! He was named her primary guardian and personally trained her honor guard to become the most feared force in the solar system.

The Zhay'iid.

He had never been more proud of her than the day that Princess Serenity chose her – out of all the other nobility of Mars – to be one of her Senshi. More and more memories played out around him as he remembered the glorious days that had gone by. Knowledge, long forgotten, infused his mind. For the first time in his life, Ryouga Hibiki felt whole. He knew who he was. He knew what he was. And most of all, he knew where he was.

By the holy eyes of Kai'Thul, he knew where he was.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

End Chapter 7 


	9. Chapter 8

Progeny 

By Jeffrey Vasquez

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Disclaimer**:

All characters and settings are used here without permission.

"Ranma 1/2" was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and is licensed to Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, Fuji TV, and Viz Communications Inc.

"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" (or "Sailor Moon") was created by Takeuchi Naoko, and is licensed to Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga, and DIC Entertainment, L.P.

All original characters belong to me. Please drop me a line if you want to use them.

**Forward**:

Special thanks goes to John the Revelator for sharing his vision with the world. For those of you who are biblically minded, I borrowed a bit from John's prophecies that seemed to fit the story all too well. Also, the prayer offered by Rei and Grandpa Hino is an actual fire ritual from the Shinto faith. I made a few changes to protect story continuity, and borrowed from another prayer to aid the feel and intent of the scene. The other elements of the ritual are taken from various sources, and are not necessarily a 100 percent true representation of an actual shrine ritual that is presented for the sake of the public. The ritual is meant to be something more private. For more info about Shinto rituals and established practices, email me and I'll send you the links that I used for this chapter.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Progeny  
Chapter 8**

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Hikawa Shrine**  
Juuban

Rei woke from a restless sleep, feeling unsettled and unnerved. There was no true voice for the anxiety she was experiencing, nonetheless it was readily apparent that she wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon.

With a sigh of resignation, she tossed the covers off and set her feet on the cold wood floor. She shivered and stretched, trying to work the stiffness from her shoulders and lower back with little success. Even the darkness of the chill, pre-dawn, air seemed weighty. The shrine maiden wasted little time in donning a robe and slippers before making her way out to the Sacred Fire. It's comforting warmth had never failed her. If peace was anywhere to be found it would be had there, in the presence of the spiritual light of those holy flames.

The walk to the shrine was lonely and more than a little unnerving. The darkness felt alive with hidden threats, just as it had when she had first come to live with her grandfather at the shrine. It made Rei feel like a five-year-old girl all over again.

She didn't like the sensation one bit, and her self-purification before entering the shrine proper did little to alleviate the feeling at all.

It was surprising to note that she wasn't the only one seeking respite from the dark night either. Kneeling before the flames, hunched though he was, Grandpa Hino chanted with strength and vitality. Rei was rarely one to indulge in moments of introspection, but in listening to her Grandfather's prayers, she realized just how much he revered the spirit of the Flame. His voice was filled with respect and conveyed something bordering on love. It brought to mind one of the first real lessons Grandpa had ever taught her. The lesson, like so many of those early teachings, had made no sense to her young mind, but now…now she understood a little of what her mentor had been trying to get across to her.

"The Spirit of the Flame is the spark of Hope." He had said. "It was not the first spirit to take shape, but it was among the Elders. We honor the Lightgiver for pushing back the darkness. We respect the Purifier for consuming the dross of the world. We embrace the Warmth of the Flame with gratitude for keeping Winter's chill at bay."

The words brought peace to Rei's troubled heart, especially in light of all that was weighing on her. She listened the chant of her grandfather's prayers for a time, taking comfort from his steady, unwavering voice. And as she watched over him, she could feel the years peel away from him, leaving him young and vibrant again. She smiled at the image it brought to her mind. Grandpa Hino was just like the Flame he honored. Warm, comforting, and full of Light. She didn't honor him as much as she should, and it made her feel terribly ashamed.

"Will you join me?"

Rei jumped, shaken from her reverie at the sound of her grandfather's voice.

"I don't mean to intrude."

"Nonsense." He patted the mat beside him. "It has been far too long since we have shared a quiet moment like this. Come. Sit."

Rei moved from the doorway, over to the small woodbin, and gathered a handful of dried sakura petals and a prayer mat. She offered the petals to the Sacred Fire, and then knelt on the prayer mat beside her grandfather.

"How are you feeling tonight?" The question was rhetorical, and Rei knew it. She also knew that Grandpa Hino was wearing his "Teacher's Face" – which meant that he expected her to reply as honestly as she could.

"Cold. Uneasy." She pulled her long black hair over her shoulder and toyed with it absently. She was hesitant to say anything else, but there was little reason hiding from something that Grandpa could already see. "Maybe even a little bit afraid."

He nodded and returned his attention to the fire, preparing himself to begin a new ritual.

She watched carefully as her mentor presented the Heiji, a small white-lidded bottle of O-miki, to the fire. He set the ritual sake on the stone altar beneath the flame's basin, and then reached for the dish of Okome, presenting the washed rice to the fire just as he did the sake. The Mizutama was presented next, followed by the Oshio. The small white jar of water and the plate of salt were placed on the altar with great care and reverence.

Rei handed him the tamagushi branches, which were finally placed in the tall Sakaki Tate vases. There was something to be said for rituals. They were very comforting. The practiced movements, and the symbolic actions went a long to focusing the mind.

Rei sighed as the uneasiness slowly passed from her and watched as her grandfather selected a bundle of sakura branches from the small woodpile at the base of the altar to give as his personal offering. He smiled and motioned for her to make her own offering. She quickly selected and added a bundle of maple branches to the fire. They both lit a handful of jasmine incense and added a bag of sea salt to the flames to finalize their offerings. She followed his lead as he drew out his prayer beads and began to pray.

"We declare with the great ritual, the Heavenly ritual, which was bestowed on him at the time when, by the Word of the Sovereign's dear progenitor and progenitrix, who divinely remain in the plain of high Heaven, they bestowed on him the region under Heaven, saying: 'Let the Sovereign Grandchild's augustness tranquilly rule over the country of fresh spikes which flourishes in the midst of the reed-moor, as a peaceful region.'

"When the two pillars, the divine Izanagi and Izanami's augustness, younger sister and elder brother, had intercourse, and she had deigned to bear the many tens of countries of the countries, and the many tens of islands of the islands, and had deigned to bear the many hundred myriads of gods, she also deigned to bear her dear youngest child of all, the Fire-producer god, and her hidden parts being burnt, she bid in the rocks, and said: 'My dear elder brother's augustness, deign not to look upon me for seven nights of darkness and seven days of sunshine.'

"But when, before the seven days were fulfilled, he looked, thinking her remaining hidden to be strange, she deigned to say: 'My hidden parts were burnt when I bore fire.' At such a time I said, 'My dear elder brother's augustness, deign not to look upon me, but you violently looked upon me'; and after saying, 'My dear elder brother's augustness shall rule the upper country; I will rule the lower country,' she deigned to hide in the rocks, and having come to the flat hill of darkness, she thought and said: 'I have come hither, having born and left a bad-hearted child in the upper country, ruled over by my illustrious elder brother's augustness,' and going back she bore other children."

"Having born the Water-goddess, the gourd, the river-weed, and the clay-hill maiden, four sorts of things, she taught them with words, and made them to know, saying: 'If the heart of this bad-hearted child becomes violent, let the Water-goddess take the gourd, and the clay-hill maiden take the river-weed, and pacify him.'

"In consequence of this we fulfill his praises, and beg that the august King of Flames may deign not to be awfully quick of heart. We honor his light and life, and appease his hunger against the day of judgments. We praise his beauty and reverence his strength. In light and truth, we cherish his children and tribute their names as well."

"With all the respect from the depth of our hearts we ask that they hear us, such as the spirit that hears our intent, with sharpened ears, together with the spirits of the Ember and the Flame, the Light and the Warmth,

"Take the evils, disasters and sins and purify all by the heat of your flames.

"Amaterasu Oomikami  
You bless us and protect us with your life giving light

"Fudo Sama  
You bless us and protect us with your wisdom and guidance

"Futsu Nushi Sama

You bless us and protect us with the strength of your sword.

"Kagutsuchi Sama

Bless us, oh King of Fire, for the expansion of our souls and the fulfillment of your will."

She lost herself in the cadence of his chant and her mind danced in time with the flames. The world slowly fell away as the prayer continued, and was replaced by a field of crimson and gold. Flashes of color mixed with the chaotic sounds of a thousand different symphonies, and Rei found herself surrounded by a host of spiraling flaming columns. Some were huge tornadoes spinning seemingly out of control, in her general direction and others were lazy spires dancing slowly yet inexorably towards her. If she squinted hard enough, she would have sworn that there were people at the center of each flaming pillar. Still, that impression, as vague as it was, did not hold her attention long in light of the vision that rose beyond the dancing columns of flame.

High above the clouds, at the center of Tokyo, Ami and a dark haired man held hands. They seemed to stand on nothing but air as a dark shadow eclipsed the sun above them. The man seemed to shimmer for a moment, fading from view, and leaving Ami to face the shadow alone.

Rei's heart skipped a beat as the darkness loomed over Ami's small form. But, at the moment all seemed lost the man returned, blazing like an angry red sun and driving the miasma away from Rei's friend. He tore into the darkness like a wild animal, decimating it. Sadly, it seemed that the darkness was no less ferocious prompting Ami to step forward. Makoto joined them, followed closely by many of the other Senshi. Ami led them forward against the shadows, she herself following in the footsteps of the ferocious man.

For each step he took, the Senshi changed…and with their every step, the world changed with them.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Grandfather Hino had always known Rei was a special girl. The sacred fire had shown him long before she had been born that his granddaughter would play a pivotal role in some grand, world-changing event. It was why he had insisted she live with him from such a young age. Rei's father had never understood the reasons, and Grandfather Hino had never seen fit to try and explain. In the end, there was truly nothing that could be explained. Rei's father lived in a world of cold logic and political certainty. There was little room for faith.

It had taken years of careful manipulation to encourage Rei's father to agree to allow her studies as a Miko to go forward. In the end, Grandfather Hino had to resort to playing off his son's pride and ambitions, to secure his granddaughter's training. The ploy, for all the hot air backing it, had accomplished what it set out to do – and to Grandfather Hino's shame, his son had capitalized on his daughter's "traditional values" to further his own political career. Being the busy man that he was, Rei's father visited the shrine on holidays with a full retinue of press and public to visit his daughter and pay respects to his own "traditional values" before returning to the fast moving world of politics.

Rei's mother set the only stipulation to the arrangement. In Grandfather Hino's view, having Rei attend a Catholic academy was an insignificant price to pay. He was happy to encourage his granddaughter to broaden her horizons. If anything, the duality would only aid her in identifying with people in the future.

The problem was no longer in the past – it was in the present.

Rei's destiny had begun unfolding, and Grandfather Hino watched with pride as his beautiful granddaughter waged a private war against evil. It was a testament to her spirit that she had not broken beneath the weight of her responsibilities, even with all that Grandfather Hino had done to alleviate the pressure from the shadows. However, recent fire readings had left the old priest feeling hollow with terror. He dared not share the visions he had seen, for fear of breaking her spirit – but each night, his dreams were wracked with apparitions of death and destruction. The Earth was going to suffer greatly in this new battle against evil. There was little doubt that Rei and her friends were going to suffer along side it as well.

Grandfather Hino stirred the coals and looked to his heir. She was lost in meditation, and from what he could see in the flames, she was caught up in a vision of her own. He wasn't as surprised as he probably should have been when she began speaking.

"Nine crowns for the queens of Earth and Heaven.

Nine scepters for the Forgotten Avatars.

Nine times nine stewards, drawn from the sands of the past.

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the

moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red beast, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

"And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And one hand would bear forth peace, while the other brought low the wicked. And the Nine Seas would part before him, to offer up their fruit to the children of Zion.

"And the beast rose against the woman, and smote her against the mountain to bring ruin to her children. And her child was caught up in grace and carried on the wings of angels.

"And there was war in heaven anew; and the angels fought against the beast and the beast prevailed over them, and the throne of glory was destroyed. And the woman was sundered, and her crown broken. But her children fled into the wilderness and were caught up to the stars, where there had been a place prepared for them before the foundations of the world were set.

"And a voice cried out in the darkness; Now is the day of Chaos, but soon, the son of hope with be brought forth from heart of the earth, wreathed in flame and power, and his glory will be a wellspring, and his wrath will be as a fierce storm driving the beast to his knees. And the darkness shall be sundered, and the stars will sing with life anew, and the heavens will proclaim the child of the woman to be their king forever more."

Rei's voice tapered off, and her body fell limp and exhausted in Grandfather Hino's arms. He gently pillowed her head on his rolled up prayer mat, intent on sprinting off to the shrine office to record the prophecy. He was surprised to hear a mechanical "click" somewhere near the doorway.

His eyes traveled up the long, shapely legs of Rei's friend…Setsuna he thought her name was…before finally coming to rest on the small tape recorder in her tanned hands. The nightgown did little to hide her curvaceous body, and had he been twenty years younger, the old priest might have made a pass at the beautiful young woman. Sadly, all that escaped his lips tonight was:

"Are you sure you don't want to be a shrine maiden?"

The young woman smiled and thoughtfully tapped her lips.

"Perhaps in my next life."

Grandfather Hino sighed and shared her smile – at least until her eyes filled with a hungry, no nonsense look.

"Tell me about your dreams." The small tape recorder was pointed in his direction and with another "click" he could see a small red light flare to life.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Saotome Dojo**  
Juuban

"HA!"

Ranma slipped beneath Makoto's jab and lightly poked her in the belly. Her block came too late to be effective, but it was a slight improvement. She followed up the block with a knee that, in her opinion, should have broken his teeth. Ranma decided that he needed to be elsewhere in order to teach his new "sister" about leaving herself open. If she was going to be a part of the family, there was no way that he was going to let her embarrass him with sloppy form. He kicked her a bit more forcefully in the fanny to drive his point home.

She stumbled and let out a little scream through her clenched teeth, before spinning on her sparing partner viciously. Lightning unconsciously began to arc around her fingers, drawing Ranma's attention. He had seen her manifest this ability on more than one occasion since their first fight almost two weeks ago, and Ranma had been itching to learn how she did it.

It didn't feel like ki and from what he could tell, Makoto didn't even realize that she was doing…whatever it was that she was doing. He had also noted that she wasn't able to do it all the time either, just when she was particularly focused _and_ upset. Which was why Ranma went out of his way to piss her off as much as he could.

Case in point.

He flipped over her rapid three-kick combo (noting with no amount of wonder that she really was generating an electric current) and promptly thumped her in the back of the head with his middle finger. She growled and spun, hoping to elbow him with her follow through. He pivoted at the last instant, moving with her almost like a dancer might follow his partner. She tried to anticipate him, but Ranma kept moving in time with her.

She tried to nail him with a fast sweep, but he simply caught her leg between his ankles. He could feel the charge building within her and could smell the ozone in the suddenly heavy air.

Maybe she was pushing her hot ki into the hot air, exciting the molecules or something. It would explain the ozone. No. He was certain that he would have felt it if she had been affecting the environment. How in the hell was she doing it? It didn't make any sense! Was she tapping the environment? The difference in approach would be something incredible, that if mastered would bypass the dangers associated with emotionally charged attacks.

He'd read something about tapping the world's Ch'i in a manga once, but had written is off as fantasy. He hadn't found anything in his studies to back the idea up. And while that didn't necessarily mean that the technique didn't exist, Ranma was certain that he would have come across the idea somewhere along the way.

Whatever the source, it was obvious that Makoto had no idea what she was doing, otherwise Ranma would have been able to see her pattern by now. Maybe it was a Void technique…kind of like hiding one's presence as he did with the Umisen. Maybe she was unconsciously inverting her ki and masking herself, and that was why Ranma couldn't sense anything. It was a stretch, but it was all that he had at the moment.

_It's magic._

The thought came from nowhere and caused Ranma to stop dead in his tracks.

Makoto's free leg took him in the back of the knee and Ranma bent forward with it, stealing all of its momentum and power. He cursed himself for allowing the distraction and rolled with her calf still locked between his ankles. The thought lingered in the back of his head, attempting to drive the truth of the matter home.

_Stop fighting it._

The voice was smug, bringing an image of a black uniform to mind. He remembered the uniform from his dream, but did his best to suppress the memories associated with it.

_You're only prolonging the inevitable, Ranma. Sooner or later you're going to have to accept me and all that I represent._

Like Hell he was!

It's only going to get more painful from here on out. Stop running and embrace your past.

Ranma growled in frustration and in a supernal demonstration of strength and control, tossed Makoto across the room. She screamed and tried to right herself, but still found her face planted into the mats and her butt stuck in the air. There was no dignity in the pose at all, which only made the tiny arcs of lightning more pronounced.

A sense of déjà vu crashed over him like a wave, leaving him feeling on edge. He crushed the sensation mercilessly as he had so many times before in the recent past, and turned his attention back to his new sister to deal with her humiliation.

He watched as she angrily slammed her fist on the mat and noted the telltale roll of thunder outside. Just like Kuno used to do. But how was it being done? He snuffed the magic idea and all that it represented the moment it resurfaced, focusing instead on other alternatives.

Maybe she was tapping the body's natural electrical system and augmenting it with her ki? That made more sense, but still had a number of holes in it. Makoto came after him again with renewed vigor, and Ranma could feel the hair on his neck stand on end with each missed strike.

This was ridiculous! How could she channel that much electricity through her body without frying herself in the process? With a body full of water, one would think she'd burn herself out each and every time she performed the trick. Maybe the Water Chakra had something to do with it?

_When will you learn that you can't run from yourself?_

Ranma crushed that thought just as savagely as the others, and focused completely on Makoto. Nothing was falling into place like it should and it was really starting to piss him off to no end. There had to be a key to the whole lightning thing, and he'd be damned if he was going to let it be magic! He dodged her every punch and kick effortlessly, moving just enough to drive the point home that the gap between them was much greater than he had been letting on. She was screaming profanities at him now, cursing him for mocking her, which inevitably meant that she was going to start shooting at him any moment. Seeing as how he didn't feel like giving her the satisfaction, Ranma went on the offensive.

His hands blurred, poking her in vulnerable spots so fast that she was unable to keep up after the first three strikes. With her focus gone, Ranma noted that the air no longer felt as charged as it had. He feinted left, then dropped to the floor and neatly swept her feet from beneath her. She cried out in alarm and surprise as she fell backwards, landing roughly. She panted and immediately rolled to her knees, presenting Ranma with so many vulnerable targets…. It was a disgusting lack of concentration that he needed to remedy.

Another wave of déjà vu crashed over him forcefully and Ranma's vision blurred for a moment. When it cleared, Makoto was wearing a skimpy outfit loosely designed to resemble a fuku. The green skirt and gold tiara, caused him to shake his head and close his eyes for an instant.

_I won't let you hide anymore, Ranma._ Akane's voice drifted in his ears causing his eyes to flare open and scan the dojo. _There's too much at stake…too much to lose._

Ranma growled and stared back at Makoto, who was simply looking up at him dumbly. She looked confused and worried, which only heightened Ranma's sense of frustration more. She was no longer wearing the strange outfit, but there was definitely something different about her…something odd that he couldn't peg down. He sighed disgustedly and decided to take control of the situation again.

Two steps took him to Makoto's side where he promptly grabbed the waist of her pants, making sure to snag her underwear in the process. Before she could register the movement, he had scooped up a handful of the back of her gi in his left hand, including a goodly amount of her sports bra. Content that both hands were in the correct position, Ranma heaved, giving Makoto the mother of all wedgies. His left hand pulled back and twisted, stretching the elastic on her bra to its peak before he let go. The resounding snap coupled with the incredibly uncomfortable feeling of the wedgie made Makoto squeal with righteous anger.

Satisfied that he got his point across, Ranma stepped back into his original position and knelt, waiting for Makoto to recover. She didn't take long to jump to her feet, but the lightning was really dancing around her now. Ranma squinted trying to see, one last time, how she was manipulating the electricity. To his surprise, the aura was plainly visible, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It wasn't a corona of color or a ghostly wisp that he had come to associate with ki. No, it was very different. At first he thought it an extremely condensed layer of energy, but the closer that he looked, the more he saw. It wasn't just one layer of energy, but hundreds…all shaped like a tangle of tree branches and roots. There was something else there too…right in the center beneath her collarbone – a symbol of some kind. He squinted and then blinked as a rush of images burst through his mind. He couldn't catalogue all of them, but one word floated to the surface of his chaotic thoughts.

"…jupiter…"

He didn't really notice the murderous look on her face, or the way that her eyes were now glowing white. Had he been paying more attention to Makoto, he might have agreed that she looked very much like a goddess of the storm.

"Ranma."

Ranma's ears perked at the sound of his mother's voice coming from the garden. The images melted away just as he stood and leaned to the right, avoiding a nasty bolt of lightning that left the air smelling charred.

"Telephone for you dear."

"Coming." He bowed to Makoto respectfully, still ignoring the rolling waves of power she was emitting. "Good match, Makoto-chan. Speed's definitely improving!"

A lightning bolt slammed into the mat where he had just been standing. He waved back to her, turning as another bolt scorched the wall where his head had been an instant before. He ignored the scream of primal feminine outrage, as he had done every other morning for the last week.

He crossed the yard to where his mother was kneeling, tending her garden, ignoring the strange and disconcerting images that continued to surface with every step. Dancing with Makoto in a room with a large glass window. Chatting with Makoto and Ami over cookies beneath a strange tree. Taking a blow meant for Makoto, who in turn had been shielding that blonde friend of Ami's from something…Makoto and someone very familiar riding into a courtyard on the back of a…dragon.

"Are you okay, Ranma-kun?" His mother's voice was tinged with concern. The sun had yet to rise very high, but Nodoka still had a great deal of perspiration on her brow. There was also a long smudge of dirt along the side of her nose. It was just the type of thing he had dreamed of all those years on the road – a safe normal life. She reached up and touched his cheek gently. He smiled and patted the back of her hand. It was such an uncharacteristic moment for him…all tender and mushy. He was going soft. Could the fat man have been right? Ranma mentally squashed any idea with relish. "Genma" and "right" were paradoxical.

"Paradoxical?" Where in the hell had that come from?

"Ranma?" His mother's voice slid away from the realm of concerned right into full-blown worry. She had been watching him like a hawk since day one, more so since Makoto had made her appearance. It was obvious that she had no clue how to deal with the situation any more than he did – they both got up everyday and dealt with things one day at a time. Still, she was doing her best by making herself available to him whenever he needed her. It wasn't like they talked or anything. She was just there…you know, when the dreams got bad. She wasn't Kasumi. If anything, she was better. He smiled brightly at her, giving her his most cocky and invincible grin.

"I'm cool, Mom."

She nodded and handed him the phone with a smile of her own.

"It's Dr. Mizuno, Dear." Ranma's smile was wiped clean from his face. He groaned and dropped his face into his palm as he accepted the phone.

"This is Ranma." A taut grin slowly stretched across his face. "Mizuno-sensei! How are ya doing?"

He swallowed heavily and rapidly ran through a number of excuses to escape the doom he knew was heading. There was no doubt in his mind what the woman was calling for; she'd been trying to find out details about the damn date non-stop for the last two days.

Not to mention the whole "Let's-get-together-sometime" gimmick at the end of his day with Ami. Why'd he have to be so flaming stupid and open his mouth before his brain could catch up? Sure Ami-chan was probably his newest and closest friend here, but you'd think he'd have learned his lesson by now.

He knew that there were a number of reasons to escape this "apology dinner" but, for the life of him he couldn't really think of any. He couldn't say that he was sick – she was a doctor after all, and would insist on checking him out. After his last "check-up" Ranma had decided that he didn't need no grabby, whacko women doctors taking care of him. What else? What else! Ranma wracked his brain, but the conversation turned back to him.

"That's great to hear. No, I'm doing fine. Just fine, thank you."

He could say that he had plans…helping his mother out in the garden! Yeah!

"They are?" Ranma blanched and looked down at his grinning mother vacantly. Damn. Another one shot to hell. "Yes. I think that it's great that they're going shopping together tonight. Mom deserves an evening out."

Damnit! He wasn't about to give in to this, no matter what she said! What else did he have? He already sparred; he never studied until after dinner, he didn't hang out with friends…hell, he didn't have any friends besides Ami-chan…CRAP!

"Five o'clock? You'll meet us after the field trip? Uhm, no…that's fine." He forced himself to laugh, even though he wanted to cry. "Italian? Yum, haven't had it in a while!"

Free eats. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe if he did the whole Piccolet-thing…he'd be off the hook in less than an hour!

"Dinner…yeah, that sounds good. It ain't nothing fancy though, right? Fancy and I don't mix well, if you know what I mean. Cool. Sounds like a plan." Ranma glanced over to the dojo and noticed Makoto stomping his way. She still had death in her eyes but Ranma failed to notice.

He danced around a nasty five-strike combo calmly, and tried not to sound too enthusiastic about the "date" that Dr. Mizuno had planned out. A punch to the head was dodged subconsciously as he listened to the tail end of the conversation.

"Ami's on her way to walk me to school? Crap! Oh, uh…. No! No! There ain't nothin' wrong with that. I really appreciate it! specially since it's my first day an' all."

He softly redirected a nasty snap kick to the groin and smiled into the receiver.

"Yeah. Thanks. I'll…uh, I'll do that. See you then!"

He thumbed a button, terminating the conversation, and caught Makoto's fist in his palm as it rocketed towards his temple. He turned slowly and looked Makoto dead in the eyes, causing her to come up short. She was breathing heavily and all but growling.

"You're going to save me from Ami-chan's grabby mother tonight. Ami got my last present and it took me all day to pick it out!" Makoto's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I need your help to find something nice on this damn fieldtrip today to distract Mizuno Sensei so she'll quit pinching my butt."

"DIE!" She lunged for his throat.

He grabbed her wrists and flipped her onto her back in the grass. She tried to recover, getting only as far as rolling to her stomach before Ranma plopped squarely onto her back. He pinned her arms with his legs and popped his neck.

"Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way, your choice."

"$&$!# KILL YOU!" Ranma saw Nadoka stiffen at the use of such…colorful language and grinned.

"Hard way it is then. SAOTOME SIBLING OPENING ATTACK: TSAO'S TICKLE TORTURE!"

Ranma began tapping in small patterns at the base of the neck and became increasingly more aggressive as Makoto resisted his impromptu attack. Eventually he found the spot that he wanted and renewed his assault with a vengeance. She laughed and squealed and kicked. She bucked and thrashed and cried, but Ranma would not relent until she started banging her head into the ground.

"You got guts, Makoto-chan. Not many people could have lasted this long. But, I'm on a deadline here." He leaned as close as he dared so that he could whisper in her ear. "I knew a chiropractor in Nerima that showed me this shiatsu thing for constipated people. Loosens everything up real good, if you know what I mean."

Makoto's eyes bulged.

"You wouldn't dare." She hissed.

"Now, the way I see it, I've got about twenty minutes before we gotta go to the train station. That gives you about ten minutes to shower, get dressed, and eat before Ami gets here."

Makoto narrowed her eyes.

"I hate you. You know that?"

"Isn't that what brothers are for?" Ranma asked innocently.

"You aren't my brother you little &!" Makoto bucked and thrashed again, but stopped immediately when Ranma tapped a spot on her lower back. He let her up and calmly started walking towards the house.

"What did you do?" She screamed. Her voice was shrill and panicked. Ranma feigned a look at an imaginary watch on his wrist and started whistling. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"You've got about three minutes to make your decision, Makoto-chan." Ranma could hear her stomach rumble from where he was, which made him grin all the more. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Makoto clutching her stomach worriedly. You would think she would know the difference between hunger pains and the beginnings of diarrhea. He wouldn't fault his luck though. If she saw through his bluff he was up a creek without a paddle. There was no way he was going to ask his mom to take him shopping.

"FINE! Be ready in ten minutes!" Ranma nodded and quickly moved behind her, tapping a spot a little higher on her back to keep up appearances. After all, one never knew when this was going to come in useful again.

He grinned smugly.

She growled profanities at him as she angrily stomped into the house.

Ranma smiled and waved happily to his mother, who shook her head and went back to weeding the flowerbed.

Who could have known that having a sister would be so much fun!

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Idzumo**

Mother's Grove

:_How goes the Hunt, Mother?_: The ancient voice of Othepsis touched the minds of the trees causing them to rustle their leaves. It was difficult to ignore the voice of a dragon.

:_Progress is being made, Othepsis. Our advances, though slow, are better than I dared hope._:

:_Then they have found him?_: The dragon asked hopefully.

:_Yes, but they have yet to confront him._: Othepsis could hear the double meaning in her tone, but could not unmask the ancient tree spirit's hidden message.

:_Ur advances on unchecked, Mother of Trees._: A new voice entered the conversation from the tree tops of the forest surrounding Mother's grove.

:_It is as we anticipated, Temry Tuthain._: Mother turned her attention to the giant thunderbird that had roosted on one of her children's taller branches. :_He will continue to advance like a plague, until he breaks upon the Drumheller._:

:_The Raja Naga are not confident in this one. He has forgotten too much. He fights against the course of his current._: The voice was cool and deep, carrying with it the mystery of the sea. Mother stretched her mind out to the ocean and touched the Great Sea Turtle in welcome.

:_And who can blame him, Gui Xian Long?_: An impish voice mocked from the base of Mother's trunk. :_He has never been one to be bound to a set course. The Drumheller dances free of all ties, in both Heaven and Earth._:

:_Spoken with the ignorance we've come to expect from the Ley People, Tailtiu._:

:_Spoken with the all-knowing arrogance we've all come to love from the Threy, Ghez Ghimai._:

:_Enough._: Mother's voice settled over the gathered minds like thunder. :_We are not here to bicker amongst ourselves, Brothers and Sisters._:

:_And pray why are we here, Mother?_: Tailtiu grinned from her perch on Mother's root. She was a curious creature. Her shape shifted constantly sometimes taking the form of a raven or a fox or a flower. She, like all of her people, had many faces and none.

:_You know as well as any, Changeling. Plans must be laid, if we are to survive._: Mother said crossly.

:_Such_ d_epressing talk is not the favored past time of the Laughing Folk._: Tailtiu grimaced childishly.

:_But depressing talk is what draws your useless hide here all the same._:

Ghez Ghimai was best described as a tall, nondescript personage. Sexless, ageless, shrouded in tight fitting black leather. Its face was masked, but its bone white arms were left bare. When it spoke, time itself seemed to shudder.

:_USELESS!_: Tailtiu screeched. Her from melted into something akin to a cobra with long black wings. Fire had replaced her tongue and sparked fitfully from her mouth. :_Let us see who is useless, Threy, when Ur sends his legions to the Gates! Let us see who you come crawling to then!_:

:_Enough._: Mother's voice was firm, but neither Ghez Ghimai nor Tailtiu heard her.

:_If Ur makes his way to the Gates, Trickster, he will do so over your corpse._:

:_ENOUGH!_: The ground trembled and the forest shook with the force of Mother's mental command. :_Is it not enough that we face Ur? Must you do his work for him?_:

:_I will not apologize for speaking the truth._: Ghez Ghimai said flatly.

:_Then go, Time Keeper and bother us no more with your pettiness._: Mother's reply was cold and uncaring, shocking those assembled. :_Lock yourself away in your cold castle and spare us your traitorous temperaments._:

:_TRAITOROUS!_: The Threy roared. :_What base accusation is this?_:

:_You divide us with your judgments._: Mother said plainly. Tailtiu looked smugly up at the floating black figure. :_You and Tailtiu may take your differences and leave. I will not suffer them to destroy what little balance remains to the Elder Nations._:

:_But, you need us!_: Tailtiu craned her neck skyward. :_How will you fight the Rhakshasa…?_:

:_FOOLS!_: Mother's branches creaked ominously, raining leaves to the forest floor below. :_Of course we need you. It is why you were called. It was why the pacts were laid down in a time long since dead. We need you freed from your prisons and unified against a common foe, not bickering like short sighted humans!_:

:_By Oath we are bound. We cannot forsake the Pact._: Ghez Ghimai looked away from Mother coldly.

:_So be it. Settle your feuds elsewhere then. We've work to do._: and Tailtiu said nothing, for which mother was glad for. :_Have the Avatars awoken?_:

The question was addressed to all, but it was Othepsis that answered first.

:_Shevat of the Nine Seas still sleeps. But the Little Prince has sent her a dream and will rouse her soon. Jupiter's children will come when called._: The foggy apparition of the Great Dragon turned his attention to Temry Tuthain. The Thunderbird ruffled his feathers, causing the air to rumble.

:_Safat yet sleeps, Mother. We have sent the winds to wake him, but he does not answer our calls. We fear he is lost._:

:_Not so._: Ghez Ghimai's silky voice calmly replied. :_The Seer will see that he wakes._:

:_Themus is active then?_: Mother asked politely.

:_The Seals are breaking. Even as we speak, the Keeper of Mysteries rouses. And with him Ozmandius Cain stirs the might of the Ulhuld._:

:_Worthy news. I had wondered at Saiida's absence here._: Othepsis mused.

:_Bound and trapped, a slave to her own folly in tempting Solomon's wrath._: Ghez Ghimai sounded almost smug. :_Thankfully she and those that followed her were bound to Narya through the flames. When Cain arrives, the seals will be sundered._:

:_Is this a Foretelling, good Threy?_: Othepsis inquired.

:_An inevitability, my Lord Dragon. An inevitability.:_

Satisfied, all eyes turned to the sea. Gui Xian Long sighed mournfully and his sad eyes stared heavenward.

:_Doris refuses to hear our calls._: The grief in his voice was plain. :_She dreams of love lost, and mourns the bitter rejection she received at the hands of the Drumheller._:

:_Such is the way of things._: Mother said softly. :_Will you call to her still? Or will Tethys appoint another?_:

:_Tethys keeps her silence, but her mirror croons to us in the deep places._ _We will sing to Doris and perhaps, in time, we will soothe her heart-wounds and bind the chasm of her soul._:

:_Do you wish our aid in this endeavor, Brother Gui?_: Othepsis asked.

:_The Raja Naga must follow where the currents will take us. It is not within us to divert the paths of destiny._:

:_We will hold our faith then, and pray that the currents bring Doris swiftly back to you._: Mother moved her attention to a dark, foreboding shadow, beyond Ghez Ghimai. :_What of the Satyrnine, Uthiad?_:

:_You know as well as any, the fate of Shalot, Mother._: The wind moaned at the cold voice of the feminine shadow. :_She sleeps the eternal sleep. She will not wake._:

:_Is there another to assume her role?_: Temry Tuthain boomed.

:_Perhaps. It is not for me to choose._: Uthiad said. :_Xianin, the Silence Bringer, will anoint whom she will. I am not privy to the mind of the Life Giver._:

:_So be it._: Mother turned her attention to Tailtiu. :_And of the Ley?_:

:_We have chosen our Voice._: The shape shifter grinned impishly.

:_Do they know their role, Changeling? Will they lead the Ley into battle?_: Mother asked.

:_When the time is right, all will be ready._:

:_Meaning you haven't asked them yet._: Ghez Ghimai snorted.

:_Our representative has been quite busy, fighting for her life thank you very much! It is not so easy a thing to approach someone of her caliber while she is still jumping at shadows! We'll act when the time is right and not before. Besides, she draws near to Merin even now. It's easier to capture two birds with one net if they're sitting on the same branch._:

:_It will be as you say, Tailtiu?_: Othepsis intervened. :_All will be ready and in place?_: The shape shifter nodded and bowed.

:_And of the Horus?_: Temry Tuthain rumbled.

:_Saffron has finally woken from his madness and flocks to the side of Isis._:

:_Will he remember us?_: Gui Xian Long speculated. :_Will he remember the Pact?_:

:_I pray it is so._: Mother whispered.

:_What of the Dam Turiel?_: Uthiad's voice was quiet on the air.

:_The Dam Turiel are dead to us, Sister. Little more than ghosts drifting aimlessly upon the surface of a buried kingdom._: Mother said harshly.

:_Death is but a doorway. Either of them could call them back._: Uthiad countered.

:_True. But that is something that none of us truly want._: Othepsis let the statement hang in the air before bowing to all and vanishing. One by one the others followed suit, leaving Mother feeling very alone in her grove.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Juuban **

The shadows flowed up the wall of the alley like a river moving up a mountain instead of down. Rats scurried into their nooks and holes, driven like sheep before a lion. Men and women that the shadow traveled with felt an unnatural terror grip their hearts, leaving many to pause in storefronts or in the doorways of restaurants, clutching their chests and looking for the monster that had inspired the fear. Those that the shadow touched, more often than not, ran back to their homes and locked themselves away from the world.

Marut would have it no other way.

Their panic and dread nourished and filled him with a heady power. The only thing keeping the Rhakshasa from succumbing to a feeding frenzy was the young woman he was trailing. He watched her every step and measured her every move, committing them to memory to succor in the days to come. Every curve was catalogued for planned tortures – from her dark flowing hair, to the shapely turn of her calf. He could feel his mind breaking down with each imagined torment, and he welcomed it with open arms.

He drew closer and closer to her, testing the boundaries of her awareness and assessing just how sensitive she was to his presence. He was sorely disappointed that he had been able to draw within six feet of her without even earning a twitch. Still, the knowledge that he could strike her down with impunity only wet his appetite for their inevitable confrontation. He had waited so long for this moment, he wasn't about to strike until he was certain everything was perfect.

:_You are mine, and no one else's. Mine! And I will enjoy playing with you, sweet Isis. An eternity will pass before I free you to death's sweet embrace!_:

The demon's thoughts spiraled down into the dark morass of its imagination, losing itself in the blood and gore of the torture Marut sought to unleash on his prey.

:_None shall stay my hand! You are mine._:

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Saotome Dojo**  
Juuban

"Auntie! I'm here." Ami doffed her shoes and slid her feet into a pair of slippers before entering the house. She checked her watch again to be certain that they were not going to be late for school. It wasn't a good idea to be late for your first day.

"In the kitchen, Ami-chan." The smell of miso reminded Ami that she had forgotten to eat breakfast in her haste to get here on time. She quickly navigated her way into the back of the house, passing a glowering Makoto who was growling under her breath about something or another. Honestly, the girl was such a thunderhead these days! Ami giggled at the pun and nearly mowed Ranma down as he was coming down the stairs with his nose in a book.

They still collided, and for a brief moment Ami was in heaven as Ranma's arm supported her back. His blush was so cute, and he filled out his uniform so well, that Ami felt the need to fan herself. It was really warm in here. Whew!

"Uh, mornin' Ami-chan."

"Good morning, Ranma-kun." Ami was only slightly disappointed that he let go of her once she had regained her feet. "Are you ready for your first day?"

He smiled worriedly and shrugged.

"It had ta happen sometime. Better today than tomorrow." Ami patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Well, at least it will be fun, right?" That earned a snort from Ranma.

She graced him with a wry, disproving frown.

"I'd think you would be grateful to ease into things. What better way to start school than by going on a fieldtrip? You get to make new friends, and Tokyo Tower has a wonderful view of the city. Plus, the shrines and museums are really educational."

"You're talkin' ta a guy that spent ten years on th' road, Ami-chan. I've had my fill of fieldtrips."

"It will be fun. You'll see." She smiled confidently.

"That's exactly what my old man told me the night after we left Mom."

"I promise it will be fun."

"And if it ain't?"

Ami lowered her eyes to the floor almost immediately, blushing. "If it's not, then…then I'll make it up to you some how."

Ranma's warm hand gently patted her shoulder, sending tingles shooting through her body.

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"That's what friends are for, Ranma-kun."

"Yeah." He smiled gently and scratched the back of his neck. Ami couldn't help but smile happily. Had she known what an effect it had on Ranma, she would have used it more often. As it was, the poor boy was rooted to the spot for a very long time.

By the time he finally came back to himself, Ami was sure that they were going to be late for class.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo, Japan**

Xian Pu grumbled darkly beneath the weight of the garment bags that her grandmother had sent her for. The fifty or so school uniforms were a mismatched collection of pain and suffering to the pride of the surviving children of the Joketsuzoku.

They had barely settled themselves in the house before Khu Lon started sending groups out on errands. Some ran to the other safe houses, both within the city and without, to set up shop and watch for stragglers. Others she sent for supplies and to exchange currency. Xian Pu…

Xian Pu she sent for school uniforms.

The young Amazon didn't understand the need for the school uniforms, nor the need to go school, in light of their situation. But when her great grandmother spoke, there wasn't much that she could do about it. Khu Lon, even bed ridden, was demonstrating that she was still a Matriarch.

The fact she was apparently the only known Elder that they had left weighed heavily on everyone as more and more reports filtered in from the refugees that were calling from other locales. Five groups confirmed dead, two M.I.A., and two more that hadn't been seen since leaving the village...it was enough to make the heart lose hope.

Oh! How the mighty fall.

The Amazon maiden groaned again, and shifted the burden to a better angle. The whole situation stank like a gutted pig in the summer heat, but she had to admit that her great grandmother's plan had merit – blend in and regroup, train and prepare until such a time as they could meet the enemy face to face again. She couldn't wait, and neither could her Sisters.

Khu Lon's plan gave them focus, and helped more than one child to sleep at night. It might be from exhaustion, but at least they were sleeping. Already Khu Lon was increasing the training regime of every able-bodied warrior...male or female. They hadn't even been there for more than a few hours before the property had become a training ground!

Traditional family politics were being buried beneath the weight of their enemy, and all the stops were being pulled to teach even the youngest warriors the most powerful techniques. Three thousand years of Amazon lore was being stuffed and crammed down everyone's throat at break neck speed.

Family styles no longer existed. There was only one family now, and every sister taught her brother. Even the Musk had begun sharing their lore, solidifying the shaky bond between the two peoples. There had never been such a unity of purpose amongst the Amazon nation in recorded history. The synergy of the tribe amazed Xian Pu. Not only were they learning, they were consuming every tidbit of knowledge in their path voraciously.

Xian Pu could understand why, too. The Joketsuzoku were facing extinction, and that fear drove everyone, old and young alike, to push themselves to the breaking point and beyond. Khu Lon was set on cataloguing every secret that she knew through her circumstantial scribes. The youthful scriveners were assigned to those too old or too wounded to teach, and both groups were being run ragged as the Matriarch did her best to dredge up every last scrap of wisdom that lay hidden in the shadows of memory.

It was a sign that didn't sit well with Xian Pu. Khu Lon was the closest thing to an immortal that the young Amazon had ever seen...next to Saffron, at least. To watch her great grandmother slowly waste away while battling to save the traditions and culture of her people, though inspiring, pierced Xian Pu's heart painfully. It was only a matter of time she supposed, but in light of all that had been lost...it was just too much to accept the idea that some day, the old battle-axe would pass away.

Xian Pu could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes, and crushed them fiercely. She wouldn't cry. Not now, not ever. Khu Lon had lived a full life, and Xian Pu wouldn't allow herself to degrade it by being childish.

/Here. Let me help with those./

Herb's tired voice caused Xian Pu to jump, as her load suddenly began to lift off of her back. She reacted instinctively, lashing out with a vicious elbow strike that was blocked. Her follow up was just as fast and furious as the first strike, but it too was met with a solid parry and the free expanse of empty air. Both warriors sprang apart from each other, the ground between them quickly becoming a No Man's land.

/I don't need your help, Herb/ Xian Pu's face was filled with a weary passion that had plagued the dreams of the leader of the Musk Dynasty. /I can manage just fine on my own, thank you./

She was surprised to see that he was wearing a uniform similar to the ones that she had just purchased. It was unnatural to see him out of his armor, but the results were...impressive.

/You haven't gotten more than three hours of sleep this entire trip, Xian Pu. Please, let me help./

Herb started forward, only to stop as the Amazon's Ki flared an icy violet.

/Why are you being so obstinate woman? Could it be that you feel threatened by a man willingly offering to help you? Or is that you're too stubborn to admit that even you have limits/

Xian Pu snarled and spun around. She didn't have time for this! There was a sudden sense of weightlessness that made Xian Pu look down. The ground was rapidly disappearing beneath her!

/HERB! PUT ME DOWN/

The young prince of the Musk looked down on his passenger. The bulk of the clothing in draped over her shoulder hid his mouth, but the mirth in his eyes told her that he was smiling.

/DID YOU HEAR ME/

/How could I not/

/Then do as I say/

/No./

Xian Pu growled and thought of ten different techniques that she had learned in the last two weeks that needed perfecting. She had just found her training dummy.

/Put me down, or you will live to regret it. I promise you./ Herb's eyes peeked around the bundle again, and this time their mirth had doubled.

/If you insist on being a fool, then you can suffer as one./

Something snapped in Xian Pu. Perhaps it was the struggle to get back to Japan. Perhaps it was the tragedy of all that she had lost. Or it could have been because Herb was being a rat bastard and needed to be taken down a peg. Whichever the case, Xian Pu wasn't about to let the insult stand. She tightened her grip on the shouldered bundles and then used them as leverage to flip herself up and over. A little mid-air maneuvering – she offered silent thanks that she had spent so much time watching Ranma's fights – and she was suddenly on Herb's back, using the bundle of uniforms to effectively blind her tormentor. She locked her legs around his waist and pulled back her fist to serve up her retribution, but her mind paused at the wonder of unhindered flight, distracting her for an instant.

The whole city sprawled beneath her in a rat's warren of buildings and alleys. She had never really flown before, which made the whole event extremely surreal. Sadly, her hesitation cost her the element of surprise. Herb twisted deftly beneath her, capturing and holding onto the bundles in one hand, and then inverted himself. Xian Pu squawked indignantly as she fell against his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

/So you want to tame the dragon, Sword Maiden/ He grinned at her over his shoulder. /So be it. Ride the Wind, and learn the folly of so many before you./

Herb dove, but Xian Pu refused to cry out – regardless of what her stomach was doing. The rush of the pavement combined with the screaming air caused her arms to tighten around Herb's neck. The speeds at which they were moving, along with his erratic maneuvering, made Xian Pu reconsider her notion of choking him to death then and there. There was no way that she could successfully pull it off and survive the fall. The last thing that her people needed was her dead from her own foolishness.

Herb grinned back up at her, causing Xian Pu's stomach to flip flop. He created a sonic boom as he pulled out of a horizontal run and into a vertical climb at nearly a ninety-degree angle. Xian Pu gave up all pretenses and screamed as she almost lost her grip on her mount.

The wind still rushed in her ears and she closed her eyes against the pressure of the climb. The noise was deafening, and she could feel her arms and legs weakening. But for some reason, she wasn't falling.

/Open your eyes, Princess of the Amazons./ Herb's whisper was loud in her ears, overriding the ringing. /Look and see./

Xian Pu opened her eyes reluctantly and found herself looking into Herb's deep crimson eyes. There was fire there. Fire and passion. Her heart pounded in her chest with wild abandon.

/Look. See./ His breath was warm against her cheek, and she noted idly that he was supporting her with his free arm. The casual strength that he held her with sent shivers down her spine. There was something unquenchable in his eyes that sang to Xian Pu. He was so much like Ranma had been, before Akane's death. Nothing could conquer him, nothing could hold back his might…not these demons, and not even Xian Pu.

She could feel the strength of his body pressed close against hers, keeping her warm. She could see the wonder of life in his eyes – alive in spite of all that he had experienced. Just…just like Ranma had been.

Damn him. Damn him for loving another more than life itself.

/Look./ Herb's voice was quiet but insistent.

Xian Pu frowned but followed his request. She wouldn't fall in love again. She wouldn't. She would live out her penance and eventually marry, but love…never again.

That thought died in her throat as the Amazon princess stared out over a vast ocean of billowing clouds. Mount Fuji lay a few miles before her and the endless sea lay at her back. Never, in all her days had she seen the like. It was a wispy dream, filled with magic and beauty – a whole new world, untouched by the ugliness of humanity and demons.

/The world is much larger than we think, and filled with more beauty than we can ever hope to see./ Xian Pu's eyes were filled with tears at his words. /And yet it all pales when compared to the beauty of a woman./

Xian Pu's head whipped around to glare at Herb, only to find his lips pressed firmly against hers. She struggled. She beat his chest until her arms were tired. But she did not break the kiss. She dare not.

It was the first sign of true hope that she had seen or felt in years.

Eventually, her struggles died and she returned Herb's passion. A fire that she had thought long since extinguished flared to life within her. It was terrifying. It was breathtaking. It was magical.

Her tears still fell freely, but whether from joy or mourning she could not say. Considering the moment, Xian Pu did not care either.

She had waited so long…too long…to be loved.

It was a wonderful thing.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Juuban **

Ami ran. She ran and cursed herself. This is what came of being distracted by boys. She was late, in spite of how early she had started her day. It kind of made her wonder why she'd bothered setting her alarm for so early. She checked her watch and sighed mentally. It wasn't Ranma-kun's fault. Sure he had been acting weird, but Auntie was certain that he was fine. Ami wasn't so sure. He had just been standing there, staring at nothing for so long! It was creepy in a way.

They had five minutes to meet the rest of their class at the station before the group went on to the first museum. Unfortunately they had a fifteen-minute run ahead of them. She had rarely been tardy in her life and had only missed two fieldtrips due to her duties as a Senshi. But it looked like today was going to be the magical number three.

There was something to admire in Usagi. She had a twenty-minute walk to school, but she managed to make it in 8.65 minutes or less every day. Her best record to date was 6.37 minutes, but that had been a miraculous fluke that had yet to be repeated.

"What time did ya say we needed ta be there again?" Ranma asked. He jogged at a leisurely pace, matching her pace easily. The fact that he was doing it backwards seemed a bit much for Ami's mind to wrap around, so she tried her best to ignore that little detail.

"7:45." She tried not to show any discomfort from the sudden stitch in her side. Ugh! She was a swimmer not a long distance sprinter!

"Crap! Why didn't ya tell me we were runnin' so late?" One thought, spoken in his mother's quiet, authoritative, voice, repeated itself in Ranma's mind.

_Real men are punctual._

He gulped, remembering his morning sparring sessions with his mother before playing with Makoto-chan. It wasn't what she had said that gave him pause. It was everything that she hadn't said. Ranma scooped Ami into his arms, ignoring her cry of surprise. He didn't break his stride, nor did he jostle her too much when he hurtled over a rather old lady out for her morning stroll. Ami shook her head and looked over Ranma's shoulder to make sure that the old lady had had actually been there, and that she wasn't just seeing things.

"Which way?" Ami pointed, wide-eyed in the general direction of the station. "How much time do we have?" She gestured again, spreading out four fingers on her hand. Ranma cursed. "Hold on tight."

Ami did as she was told without reluctance, blushing at how good it felt to be in his arms again. The Libido raspberried the Logic Centers and seized control. She felt the ground fall away from her and a sudden rush of wind as she and Ranma rocketed to the roof top three stories above them.

There was a moment of weightlessness and then gravity reasserted itself, bringing Ranma and his passenger down gracefully to the shingled roof. The feeling of near-flight was nothing compared to the interesting new sensations that now coursed through her body.

The instant he touched down Ranma was running. The end of the roof came and he felt Ami tense in anticipation of the jump. He remembered the times when he had carried Akane like this. The sweet smell of her perfume lingered on the wind in his mind, and the supple feel of her toned body raced through the memory of his arms.

Ami wasn't as strong as Akane, and her body was a lot softer and curvier than his fiancée's had been, but Ranma felt that the situation was surprisingly familar. Her perfume was different, but it smelled just as sweet. Remembering was painful; but, somehow, Ami dulled the sting even as she acted as a constant reminder of what he had lost.

Ranma didn't like where that line of thought was heading, so he violently pushed it down and locked it away. No sense in opening another can of worms. He turned his mind to the task at hand and concentrated on making it to the station on time. He could see a bank clock a or two block over on his right. He grinned and doubled his speed.

Plenty of time.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Juuban **

Usagi Tsukino was not your average teenage girl. Not many girls her age could claim to be a princess and actually have it turn out to be the truth. The number that could claim the mantle of super hero were even fewer and farther between. Aside from that distinction though, Usagi tried her best to live a normal life. For her, that meant boys, manga, ice cream, more boys, and lots more ice cream.

While there was really only one boy in her life that really meant anything, she felt that she could occasionally admire choice specimens. It was like going to an art museum. That's how she could justify her careful, guilt-free examination of Eijiro Honami; she was admiring him as an art form.

The warm, oak brown color that made up his eyes complimented his dashing smile. And the dreamy way he walked...definitely an art form to be appreciated.

Considering that they would be going to an art museum today, Usagi felt that this was a perfectly acceptable way to begin the field trip. She was…broadening her mind that was all. Seated on either side of her, Minako Aino and Makoto Kino were in complete agreement – if the vacant expressions and drooling were any indication.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Mio Kogara, Usagi's homeroom teacher, watched the girls in amusement as she rechecked her clipboard.

:_Oh, to be that young again._:

It pleased her that the Tsukino girl was at least making an effort to be on time this week. She was certain the field trip had a lot to do with it, but Usagi had been gradually getting better. It didn't really matter to her that the girl spent most of her class time daydreaming.

Like most teachers, she would take what she could get and then try to build from it. Most of the time it was a miracle that any of the kids made it through. But, miracles were Mio Kogara's stock and trade. Even so, considering the report that she had received on the new transfer from Furinkan, she had her work cut out for her for the rest of the year.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ranma landed just before the platform gate, startling a gaggle of girls as they walked up the stairs. They squeaked as his landing kicked up a small breeze. Ranma ignored them, intent on double-checking the platform information. When he was satisfied that they were in the right place, he gently set Ami down and casually checked the clock over the platform benches.

He grinned. A little over two minutes to spare. Not bad.

Not a record, but not bad.

He scrambled to get his paper work out of his jacket pocket. The last thing that he needed was to be kicked out because they didn't think that he was a student. The clustered girls, allowed their eyes to roam over the sight of this new hunk of man-flesh before them. Looks of envy had already begun to creep in at the sight of Ami and her proximity to the new boy, not to mention how she had arrived.

For her part, Ami wanted to find the nearest available rock and climb beneath it. Not only because she had just arrived in cradled in Ranma's arms, but because she had enjoyed it waaaay too much.

"Hey Ami-chan, who's Kogara-sensei?" Ami stopped adjusting her skirt and looked up at Ranma in surprise.

"You have Kogara-sensei for home room?" She squeaked.

Ranma nodded, still studying the sheet of paper in his hands. She willed her heart to stop pounding so hard. It was getting really hard to focus on anything - especially with that weird pink light and the rather beautiful, if not romantic, music. It was starting to make her feel funny. She had to admit that the Sakura petals were a nice touch though.

"That's wonderful, I have her too." Her small, embarrassed smile brightened considerably, causing the group of girls behind her to groan in frustration. "Come on. We had better check in before we're counted late."

Ranma nodded again, and then looked up at the clock. Time was still ticking away and he still needed to be on time. Men were punctual, and he was a man. There was no time to dodge the crowd, so he started looking for alternative routes while Ami purchased their tickets. Inspiration struck again and he turned to Ami, silently hoping that this idea turned out better than the first.

"Do you see the teacher or the class rep?"

Ami looked at him quizzically. "I'm sorry?"

Ranma looked at her in frustration. "Who do we check in with?" Ami pointed out Ms. Kogara on the other side of the crowd and to their right.

"Whaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiii!" She screeched loudly as Ranma gathered her in his arms again and leapt – all in one swift, fluid motion.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Mio Kogara looked at her watch casually. Ami Mizuno had yet to check in, which caused her to wonder if the girl was ill. It just wasn't like her to be so late. There was no sign of Mr. Saotome either, which was both a relief and a disappointment to her. He sounded like a challenge worthy of her skills as an educator, and she had hoped that he would at least be on time for his first day of school.

Sighing inwardly, she walked over and checked in the few stragglers that she did see. Loud laughter and other sounds associated with teenagers, free from the drudgery of the classroom, echoed around her. By the end of the day, she would need a whole bottle of aspirin, but from the smiles that she saw on her students' faces, the event would be worth it.

As she checked off Jiro Fujikake's name, she saw a dark blur fall from the air above her, and her mind froze. A young man carrying Mizuno-san in his arms alighted on the platform before her, stirring up a small eddy of dust. The rest of the class followed her gaze, and Usagi Tsukino was one of many students that fell from their benches in shock. The fact that she was the cause of most of the other students' misfortunes was completely ignored.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

He was glad that there was only one other student near the teacher. Landings amongst a crowd by himself weren't so bad, but landings with passengers in a crowd were always tricky. He wanted to make a good first impression, and flattening a bunch of kids didn't seem to be the way to do it.

Ami clutched at him, drawing his attention down to her smiling face. Her eyes were shut tight, but she had a silly grin on her face. He silently wondered if she was in shock from the flight. It wasn't everyday that someone normal got to ride the rooftop express, in care of Ranma Saotome. He'd have to watch her carefully today to make sure that she was okay.

The teacher loomed beneath him, and with practiced ease, he angled his descent perfectly. His landing was silent, kicking up a little air and dust as he and Ami settled down in front of Kogara-sensei. He looked at a clock on the far wall and noticed that he still had a minute or so before the train was due.

_Whew! Made it!_

"Ranma Saotome and Ami Mizuno." He leaned over the teacher's clipboard to make sure that their names were on the list. The tightness in his stomach settled when he found both there. Careful not to jostle Ami, because her eyes were still shut tight and her arms seemed to be locked around his neck, he slipped his paperwork on top of Kogara-sensei's clipboard. The woman before him just blinked and stared at Ranma as if he had grown another head.

Man, this place was weird!

Ranma shook his head and chanced another look at Ami. Her face was really red, and every once in a while she would shiver. He remembered Doc Tofu saying something about shock victims and chills. It hadn't been all that cold on the way over here, but he had been the one running. Maybe Ami had caught a chill or something? Best not to take any chances.

He motioned with his head to a young kid with really thick glasses to slide over on his bench, and when the boy readily complied he gently set Ami down. In no time his jacket was off and around her shoulders, drawing more than a few giggles and whispers from his new classmates. He didn't hear them.

If Ami got sick because of him, his mother would kill him!

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The boy hadn't leapt over the crowd.

He couldn't have.

It was impossible.

Really.

All the stories that Raiiji told about Furinkan were ludicrous fiction. Old Wives tales meant to sensationalize a poorly run school. That was it. Yes. Who cared if they had constant monster attacks in Juuban? The only thing truly out of the ordinary was a group of magical girl vigilantes that stepped in to save the day every so often.

Nothing noteworthy at all.

Nope.

No boys leaping large crowds in a single bound. They weren't carrying star pupils either. See? That wasn't Ami Mizuno cradled comfortably in his arms. Nope, not at all! This was some sort of hallucination from only getting three hours of sleep the last three nights running.

The boy, who didn't exist, stepped forward and gently said something. Saotome Ami…something. He dropped some papers on her clipboard and then casually stepped away. The Mizuno girl, who was not nestled snuggly in the crook of the phantom boy's arms, had her eyes closed and a silly grin plastered on her face.

The crowd seemed to breath again, and someone shouted that the train was arriving. Mio glanced down at the loose papers fluttering atop her clipboard blankly for a moment, before finally securing them. She sighed and read the name at the top of the first paper.

It read: Ranma Saotome.

"I need a drink." It was a sentiment to be shared by all in the hours to come.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Yen Lung Mountain, China**

He stood motionless watching the clouds dancing amidst a cerulean sky. It had been over ten thousand years, and yet such a simple sight could still move him. The air at these heights had a bite to it, and left his breath to puff in small, frozen clouds before his face.

The moon hung overhead like a ghostly scythe waiting to fall upon the inhabitants of the Earth. The bare-chested man chuckled at the irony.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Ur whispered to the wind. "What would you say about your bounteous kingdom now, Wife? Do your lofty morals and self-righteousness comfort you in that chill grave of yours?"

The blasted and barren landscape of the moon offered no response to Ur's mocking questions. He turned his attention eastward and narrowed his eyes.

"Or perhaps you have yet to sleep in oblivion's sweet embrace?" The black haired man stroked the stiff hair of his goatee ponderously. With a light shake of his head he turned his attention away from the pull of the Guinzuisho to focus on other matters - the lesser of two being the more enjoyable.

A group of five men and three women knelt at his feet. Fear still rolled off one or two, but the rest were still in the grip of shock. It had been a long two weeks for them. He supposed that had their places been reversed, he too would have felt a similar reaction. It wasn't an easy thing when one faced the total annihilation of one's reality. The current trends that science and logic had taken, held no place for demons and magic. As such, it was nigh impossible for these technicians to embrace their situations…or their futures for that matter.

"Set your hearts at ease." He knew that his magic would translate the words, but no amount of magic could convey intent. He smiled softly, reaching out with a tiny glamour to calm their terror. "I have brought you here for a purpose. Serve me and you will live."

The other option was left unspoken.

"What do you want?" One of the women spoke emotionlessly, staring out at the peace of oblivion that was so very close yet completely out of reach. Her short mannish black hair reminded Ur of the perverse whore, Uranus.

Her body was not much to look at. She had adequate muscle tone, a squashed nose, and ears that were slightly too large for her face. All in all her appearance was rather plain. Her spirit however, was something else entirely.

There was no mistaking a descendent of Atlantis. They had been (and for all intents and purposes still were) a breed apart from humanity – the next link, as it were, in the Aldus Chain. To Ur's eyes she burned with all the glory of her heritage, now that she had chosen to open herself.

"To make you Kings and Queens over the Earth." He whispered. The winds carried his voice to her ears and her ears alone. "To exalt you to your true potential." The woman's eyes slowly widened as Ur drew a finger's width from her face. "To reclaim the past for the sake of the future, and punish the sins of the wicked that cry from the depths of the earth."

His breath was hot on her skin and she shivered, equally aroused and terrified anew by the power that radiated from Ur.

"What is your name?" His voice caused her to gasp and shy away.

"Xiao Xing Hsiao."

"'Morning Star'. How appropriate." Ur stepped back a pace and lightly caressed the scientist's cheek with his knuckles. She pulled away guiltily from his touch, ashamed that her body was betraying her. Ur smiled and turned away from the gathered minds. "The first light before the dawn. Truly prophetic."

"Leave her be, Monster!" One of the men (a portly specimen at that) gathered his courage and lunged at Ur blindly. The former king of Atlantis calmly caught his attacker by the throat, halting his forward momentum. With one arm firmly behind his back, Ur lifted the fat little man a foot off the ground until he was eye to eye with the Lord of the Hunt. The man trembled in fear, and from the stench assaulting his nose Ur knew that he had soiled himself.

Shame filled the man's eyes and face as he tried desperately to look anywhere but at his captor. Ur ignored the smell and drew the sweaty man close so that he could whisper in his ear.

"Noble sentiment, pathetic attempt." With little fanfare he tossed the man back to the crowd and turned his attention back to the eastern horizon.

"You will tutor me in the use and custom of your technology. You will share with me your history, both ancient and contemporary. You will teach me your languages and enlighten me on the prevailing philosophies. You will come at my call and reveal your secrets at my command. You will disclose the names of others like yourselves and betray former acquaintances to further my goals. Do this and I will be well pleased." Ur snapped his fingers and four Rhakshasa appeared at his call.

"Please me and I will exalt you. Fail me and all that you love will wither and die before your very eyes." He motioned abruptly with his hand and his demon servants drug his newest acquisitions away. Their screams held no meaning for him, but when he turned to watch their departure, his eyes fell upon the silent gaze of Xiao Xing.

Something unspoken passed between the pair. An intimate bonding of kindred souls.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower**

Usagi sighed and slumped onto a bench between Minako and Makoto. The girls were watching Ranma stare blankly out the large plate glass windows that overlooked the northern half of Tokyo. It was a perfectly sunny day, and yet the world seemed clouded whenever anyone looked in his direction.

Usagi, as usual, broke the lingering silence. "He seems so lonely."

"He's supposed to, he's the new kid on the block." Makoto's voice was gruff.

It was more than apparent that she hadn't gotten over the sting of her many losses to Ranma, which seemed to continue to grow day in and day out. His skill was something that Usagi thought Makoto would come to respect, but it appeared that she hadn't. Makoto was as sour as she had been upon first meeting the boy – just not as vocal. Usagi wasn't sure which was better – the fiery and explosive rants, or this cold, simmering hatred.

"Nobody should be lonely on their first day of school." Minako pouted. "It's just not right."

Makoto frowned but kept her mouth shut. The silence was heavy as was the gaze Makoto leveled Ami's way. Usagi was worried for the two, especially in light of this new enemy that Rei and Setsuna had spoken of. The last thing the Senshi needed was infighting to compound a growing threat.

"So, how long are you going nurse this grudge?" Usagi tried her best to keep her voice light and playful, but even she could hear the tired exasperation in her voice.

"Until she apologizes or he's dead." Makoto growled. Usagi raised an eyebrow at her friend and frowned.

"You are the most stubborn person I know."

Minako wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes playfully, silently agreeing with Usagi's assessment.

"Worse than Rei?" Makoto's grin was positively cheeky.

"Rei's in a class all of her own." Usagi grinned irreverently. "I'm comfortable with her temper tantrums. Yours on the other hand, are going to take some getting used to."

Usagi rolled her eyes as Makoto slumped against the pillar at her back and began to pout.

"This is silly, Makoto-chan. Ami's your friend." Minako moved so that Makoto was now sandwiched between the two blondes and wrapped her arm around the taller girl's shoulder lovingly.

"Friends don't stab each other in the back."

"She didn't stab you in the back, Makoto." Usagi's voice was laced with irritation.

"Then what do you call it, Usagi?" The tall brunette sat up, freeing herself from Minako's arm and cast a challenging stare Usagi's way. The future queen of the Earth fidgeted for a moment, but gathered her courage enough to return her friend's stare pound for pound.

"I call it standing up for someone important to her. She didn't mean to hurt you."

Makoto glowered at her, causing Minako to fidget uncomfortably.

"She tried to slap me! How can you say that she didn't mean it?"

Usagi bit her lip and stared at her hands for a moment before answering. "Ami was defending Ranma. He came at just the right moment when we…when we were attacked. She felt that she owed him."

Usagi quickly pushed down the memory of the pawing hands and the fear that had gripped her heart when Butsu and Kinyobe had grabbed her. She had faced greater dangers in her life, but nothing had ever prepared her for the utter violation that she had felt in that moment. If Ranma hadn't have shown up when he had, well, Usagi wasn't certain what would have happened.

"Big deal. So he pulled your fat out of the fire. How's that any different from what I've done on a hundred different occasions?"

Minako gasped in disbelief and pulled away from Makoto. Usagi couldn't believe her ears either. Of all the self-centered…! She gave her friend such a regal and disapproving scowl that Makoto flinched.

"How can you be so…so…petty?" Usagi hissed.

Makoto's back stiffened.

"How can you side with her?"

"Because I was there." Usagi couldn't believe how cold her voice was. "Because he saved me from being raped. I don't care what you think he did to Mrs. Saotome in the past. What matters is here and now."

Makoto frowned and crossed her arms petulantly.

"The past is dead and gone, Mako-chan – he can't change it any more than we can. Ranma-kun's doing his best to heal old wounds, no matter how much it hurts him in the process." Makoto shifted uncomfortably and shifted her gaze to Ranma's back. "Ami and I owe him more than we can ever repay, and if Ami thinks you're being witchy, well…" Usagi paused for a moment, gathering her courage to say what she knew needed to be said. "…I have to agree with her."

Minako blinked, obviously uncertain if she had heard that correctly.

"WHAT!"

Makoto was nearly out of her seat. People from all over the observation deck turned to look at the pair, causing Usagi to blush. She could see Makoto's anger building and was decidedly tired of it. In light of everything that Ranma had done for her, not to mention Ami, Usagi wasn't going to let Makoto's little grudge match to continue any longer.

"The truth hurts, Makoto-chan. You're wrong. Deal with it."

Makoto looked satisfyingly dazed at Usagi's sudden show of backbone.

"Ranma let you beat him." Makoto opened her mouth, but Usagi pushed forward, cutting her off. "Don't try to deny it! You've complained every day since the fight in the dojo, about what a jerk he is for holding out on you. He let you beat him to a bloody pulp, just so you and Mrs. Saotome could have a fresh start – and you know it!"

Minako began shifting in her seat self-consciously, but Usagi pressed on. This needed to be said, here and now. Maybe the public humiliation would go a ways to reinforcing the lesson.

"He offered to leave again if you won, and from what I've seen of the guy he would have kept his promise. Do you have any idea what that means?" Usagi took a deep breath and allowed Makoto to catch up to her. "He cared enough about your past with his mother that he was willing to sacrifice everything he had just regained to give you some peace of mind – just because you care for his mom. He's given you a second chance with Mrs. Saotome. What have you done to thank him for that?"

Makoto sat quietly for a moment and then turned her eyes to stare at Ranma's back. Her lips trembled with emotions barely held in check. Usagi could see her friend's eyes beginning to gather tears.

"You expect me just to forget everything that he's done to me?"

Usagi put her hand on Makoto's forearm and smiled warmly at her friend.

"What has he done to you Makoto-chan?"

"He ruined my life!" Her words and anger were raw, but controlled. "His ghost stole my last chance at happiness!" Usagi didn't quite understand, and that confusion must have shown in her face. Makoto growled and swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Forget it."

"No. I don't think I will." Usagi's voice was soothing, but held more than a bit of steel in it. "Tell me how he stole your happiness."

Makoto sighed and leaned forward, hiding her face from Usagi and Minako's view.

"I don't want to talk about this any more."

Usagi stared at Makoto's back for a long time, piecing together the puzzle of hints that the girl had dropped over the last two weeks. The picture that was forming confused Usagi even more. But when she felt that she had all the pieces in place, she had to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Makoto growled.

"You." Usagi chuckled. "You're soooo stupid."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Why are you mad at him? Really?" Usagi crossed her arms and crossed her legs expectantly. This was her best, "I'm-not-taking-'no'-for-an-answer" look, and judging from the anger in Makoto's face, it was working.

"He could have written her. He could have called."

"You don't know anything about Ranma's trip with his father. How can you judge him?"

"You don't know anything about Auntie's suffering, so how can you judge me?"

"Are we talking about Mrs. Saotome, or are we talking about you?"

Minako stared raptly at the drama unfolding between her dear friends, unwilling to disrupt the flow of the discussion. This was better than a soap opera!

"Can we just drop this?" Makoto stood, but was surprised to feel Usagi's hand wrap around her wrist. Usagi was a bit surprised herself, but she plunged forward any way.

"Sit down Makoto-chan. Stop running from the truth." Makoto frowned, but made no move to comply with Usagi's command. "Fine. Be that way." The blonde haired girl pushed herself to her feet, and for all appearances seemed to tower over Makoto in spite of being so much shorter than the other girl.

"Ranma had nothing to do with Mrs. Saotome refusing to adopt you. Stop punishing him for something that his mother did." Makoto blinked, shell shocked by Usagi's bluntness. "I can't make you like him, Makoto. I can't make you and Ami patch things up either. But I won't put up with you being so mean to either of them."

Makoto glowered.

"Don't give me that look! When was the last time that you saw Ami show interest in anything that didn't have a cover on it?" Makoto shrugged uncomfortably. "Ranma makes her smile. He makes her blush. He's saved her life twice now, carried her to school in his oh-so-hunky arms, and he's given her something that none of us could: a real reason to live outside of her studies. That makes him special."

Usagi would have continued dressing Makoto down had it not been for the sudden screams and the sound of shattering glass.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**The Palace of Seven Clouded Heavens**  
China 

Xiao Xing Hsiao moved numbly through the halls of the fortress along with the rest of her peers. At the age of thirty-five she was one of the world's top five nuclear physicists, with multiple degrees from both western and eastern universities. She was not considered beautiful by the standards of the conventional world, but neither was she unattractive. If anything, she considered herself "average," perhaps even homely. Physical attractiveness had never been a priority for her – not while there were so many other things in the world that outweighed the pettiness of her own self-image.

After returning from the West, she had naively set out on a mission to solve the problems that plagued the civilized world, only to have that adolescent dream crushed beneath the weight of political entrapment and blackmail.

Xiao Xing had joined an underground movement in the wake of the events of Tienamin Square, hoping to free her country from the grip of Communism. Her dreams of a free and Democratic China died a bloody death as the group she'd pledged her allegiance to turned out to be funded by the Chinese government as a means to ferret out dissidents. In the end, she was given a choice: work for the beast she had been trying to bring down, or watch from a small unknown prison cell as her family was executed for her betrayal. It wasn't much of a choice at all, yet it hadn't truly made any real difference either.

Two years after her arrest, her mother and sister had an "accident" and her father was "lost" in a factory fire. Fear for her life was the only thing that kept the pain and loss at bay. Shameful though it was, her cowardice had kept her alive.

Now, she stood alone against a new, but familiar, monster – one that elicited the strangest sensations in her body and mind. Her logical mind tagged these feelings as something akin to the Helsinki Syndrome; where the captive slowly began to identify and empathize with her kidnapper. And yet, she couldn't really understand how that could be either. After all, she'd only met the man once – surely it took more than a single meeting to switch loyalties so fully. Right?

She chanced a glance up at the crocodilian monstrosity escorting her through the gilded halls of the palace and shivered.

Had she truly lost all hope in ever being free again? Had she stopped caring who she served, so long as she lived another day? Was she really that much of a coward, that she would willingly entertain a new form of slavery over death?

"There is no cowardice in you, my dear Xiao Xing."

The young scientist blinked and looked up in shock. She was standing in a moderately sized, but richly furnished, banquet hall. The table before her was filled with all manner of foodstuffs, and she felt her stomach clench with hunger. At the far side of the room was the man whose face haunted her conscience.

"On the contrary, your courage is a well spring that sits untapped."

The words were filled with honey and to her shame, Xiao felt herself warming to them.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, child. The truth must be embraced, for good or ill, regardless of its source."

"And you speak the truth?" It was a clumsy verbal jab, especially considering Xiao's education. One would think that a person with multiple doctorates would be able to come up with something more…scathing. Still, there was more than a little sarcasm lacing Xiao's bumbling words, even though she was unnerved at the man's ability to read her thoughts and emotions. She knew he could kill her, or worse, but she was tired of caring. She was tired of being afraid and sick to death of being used.

"There are many truths, child. And all of these truths are immutable from a certain perspective."

Xiao snorted derisively before she could check herself. Rather than being offended, the man simply smiled and poured a goblet of wine.

"To a man who lives on a plain, the world is flat. If he should never venture beyond his plain to a mountain, his world will remain flat." The man gave Xiao the golden cup and poured himself another without pause. "He will pass this knowledge on to his descendants, who will in turn perpetuate the tradition to those that follow them. This truth cannot be contested or disproved without evidence of another equally powerful truth. But even in the face of such evidence, the plain-dwelling man's truth remains; the confines of his world are flat. One truth among many that will invariably build upon a larger and more universal certainty."

"And you are saying that I'm brave."

"No. I am saying that you are courageous."

"There's a distinction?"

"Of course. Bravery is finite. It is a base emotion that lives and dies in a moment. Courage however…courage is a higher emotion that cannot die."

"I do not feel courageous." The man laughed and Xiao found herself watching him out of the corner of her eye. He was handsome, in a forbidden way, and the scientist found herself reacting to his presence in ways she had only read about in cheap novels. It simply added to her shame and confusion.

"My dear Xiao, you are the very definition of courage." The man set his goblet down and walked over to her, cupping her chin and staring deeply into her eyes. It made her want to look away, but she found herself looking back. "You stand here, amidst all my power and converse with me, where others would cower in my shadow."

He caressed her cheek and smiled. Something in Xiao woke and responded. It was as if her spirit had been asleep all these years and now…now it was awake.

"You underestimate your heritage, Daughter of Atlantis. Courage has been written on your soul since your birth. Let it awake with the rest of your birthright."

His finger traced something on her forehead and Xiao's whole body was aflame. A physical weight was lifted from her body as power stirred deep within her spirit. She screamed in ecstasy, leaning into the man's touch for support. To her surprise and wonder he held her close, tenderly allowing the event to run its course and giving her time to collect her wits.

"What was that?" Her voice trembled.

"Your inheritance, Daughter of Atlantis."

"I don't understand." She looked into the man's eyes again, and immediately saw the difference. The cold, blue gray orbs were no longer closed to her. She could feel his contentment and his happiness. She could feel his affection for her and behind it all a loneliness that bordered on madness. He could feel her clumsy probing and opened himself further to her. She knew him intimately then. Ten thousand years of injustice bound to the earth. He was a titan finally freed from its chains – Prometheus unchained. She saw his hopes for the world and his thirst for vengeance.

In so many ways it mirrored her own needs and desires, but on a much larger scale. She understood now, but that knowledge taxed her body greatly. She felt her strength fail her, but the man did not let her fall. He gathered her close and lifted her in his arms, holding her as one would an infant.

"Xiao Xing Hsiao." His voice was but a whisper in her ear, but it carried so much more in its tone – hidden meanings and power that Xiao could barely catalogue.

"No longer are you bound to the life you once led. I, Ahbrim Ur, as a Lord of Atlantis, break the bonds placed on your soul and free you to embrace what has long been denied you." A sudden strength built in her heart and spread slowly outwards to her limbs. She didn't move afraid that the spell of peace and security this man had woven would shatter. Ur seemed to understand her reluctance and made no move to set her down.

"You are no longer Xiao Xing Hsiao. That name is unworthy of what you have become."

Xiao nodded but did not lift her head from his chest.

"I name you Eosos, for you are the dawn of a new era made flesh."

Eosos, the woman once known as Xiao Xing, wept. No longer was she trapped in the clutches of a cold and cruel government. No longer was she a faceless slave to heartless men. Ahbrim Ur, a god made flesh, had freed her and made her feel precious again. He valued her. Her old self would have questioned his motives; her old self would have looked for a way to fight against his authority. Her old self was dead though, and reborn from the ashes was Eosos – the first true Atlantean woman to walk the face of the Earth since the waves claimed her ancestral home ten millennia.

A new life, full of potential and wonder, lay before her and she owed it all to this man. She clung to Ur and continued to cry in gratitude. She vowed in her heart, even as exhaustion overtook her, to serve him and to love him for this priceless gift.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ur upon the slumbering form of Eosos and smiled triumphantly. It was a testament to the Atlantean bloodline that it had survived ten thousand years of perversion by mixing with the lesser races of Terra. It would take time for her blood to purify itself, but Eosos still represented the rebirth of a superior race. It was more than Ur could have hoped for.

He would have to alter his plans to accommodate this new development. The Rhakshasa could still glut themselves on the lesser bloodlines, but steps would have to be taken to find and reclaim the sons and daughters of Atlantis. Perhaps, once he had control of the Guinzusho, he could even find a way to raise the sunken nation to house his people again.

Eosos would need to be trained in her heritage, which meant that the pace of Ur's own plans would need to increase. He disliked rushing things, but once he had enough Atlanteans backing him, the Rhakshasa would become obsolete and he could remove them from the equation completely. He looked down to Eosos again and his smile deepened. He would task her with finding and gathering her brethren in secret. Once their numbers were great enough, he would teach his children how to leash and unmake the Rhakshasa.

Then the world would be theirs to remake as they saw fit.

"Indra, attend me."

The shadows behind a tapestry boiled, heralding the tiger-headed demon's entrance into the room. It knelt on one knee before the Lord of the Hunt, silently awaiting Ur's command.

"The Eve of the Hunt draws near, Indra. However, before we fully reveal ourselves to the world at large, we must prepare a suitable demonstration of our power. Bring me the scholars and then prepare your pride to strike our secondary targets."

"It will be as you say, my Lord."

There was nothing in his words that betrayed any concern, but Ur felt waves of worry coming from the kneeling Rhakshasa. The Lord of the Hunt narrowed his eyes, gauging his servant thoughtfully.

"What troubles you, faithful Indra?"

"Marut, my Lord."

"He has not returned." There was no need to question the validity of the statement, or guess at the reason for Marut's disobedience.

"No, my Lord."

"Send another to gather the scholars then. You and your chosen will seek out our wayward Marut and return him to me that I might chastise him for his defiance."

"What are your orders concerning the Senshi, should he engage them?"

Ur remained silent for a time, looking down at Eosos thoughtfully before responding.

"Observe his battle, but do not interfere. Your report suggests that the Senshi are less than they once were, this would be an opportunity to test that supposition. However, should you find Marut before he has moved against Isis, you will return with all due haste. The Senshi will be dealt with in due course. Is this understood?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then go."

Ur watched as Indra melted into his own shadow before turning his attention back to Eosos.

"Soon, child. Soon, we will remake the world in our image."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower**

Ami listened all morning as a number of girls gossiping about this mysterious new student who hadn't been introduced yet. It was hard not grind her teeth whenever they commented on his handsome face or his well toned body. More than a few envious stares and remarks had been directed her way throughout the course of the trip as well.

The attention made her uncomfortable, but it also sparked an emotion never before experienced – prideful delight. She had been on the receiving end of praise before, but never like this. Teachers lauded her intellect and encouraged her to become all that she could be. Her peers would stand at a distance and wish to be as smart as she was, but never had they envied her like this. It was a whole new world for her.

"His frown is depressing." Fumi Atsuda groused to the quartet of girls around her as Ami passed. "We should do something to make him smile. I bet he has a beautiful smile."

It was hard for Ami not to stare once someone brought her attention to that sad frown. The expression seemed all too common, and if there was one thing that Ami wished above all else, it was that she could drive it away forever. She knew why it was there, and she grimaced every time she caught him stealing a glance. It was hard to be a living reminder of everything that he had lost, but thankfully, their friendship was holding.

"Like what?" Ai Kotetsu ventured distractedly, her eyes never leaving Ranma's back. Ami sighed and tried not to notice the hungry longing in the girl's stare.

"Too late, girls." Ami blushed at Umi Daito's playfully husky voice. "Someone's already beat us to it." There was a murmured comment about wallflowers blooming, and Ami did her best to ignore it as she continued on her way.

She juggled the cold cans of juice that she had bought for her and Ranma and nervously bowed her head to hide the blush that decorated her cheeks. She combed her hair behind her right ear and tried to hide the small, if inappropriate, smile that was growing on her face. She glanced up at Ranma's back, silhouetted against the brightness of the sunlight coming in from the pane glass window overlooking the hazy Tokyo skyline. The sight of him leaning casually against the window support tickled a sense of déjà vu in Ami, causing her to pause for a moment. All at once the tower fell away from her mind and she felt herself standing in a different place…a different time.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The Arbitor, Queen Serenity's flagship, was the pinnacle of Lunar craftsmanship. Equal parts magic and technology, it was to be a symbol of hope and ingenuity amongst all of the sub-kingdoms. Staffed to brimming with people chosen from throughout the solar system, the Arbitor was to be the first in a series of exploratory delegations sent to the inner rim of the galaxy. And she had worked for seven long years at her mother's side to see it completed. Onyx and her ilk notwithstanding.

It was only fitting that she shared her moment of triumph with the other half of her heart.

She watched him staring down at Mercury, leaning casually against the hull support that neatly framed the thin window before him. Goddess! He was beautiful! The casual grace with which he lounged, belied the deadly efficiency that he had moved with just days before. Princess Serenity's assassin hadn't even had a chance to blink, let alone attack. What surprised her all the more was the fact that he had barely touched the Venusian dissident. The woman had simply stiffened before falling to the flagstones with a soft sigh, never to wake again in this life.

Gentle and deadly – he made her blood sing! And he loved her! Not Merin or Narya. Not Shemue or Serenity. Her! She sighed again and shamelessly took stock of his physique one more time before scooting in next to him. His warmth and comforting closeness were just the perfect gift to celebrate her day.

He grinned down at her and pointed out the window.

"I can see your house from here."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ami giggled and jabbed Ranma in the ribs with her finger. His grunt caused her to look up, and the Arbitor fell away, being replaced with the mundane surroundings of Tokyo Tower once again. She could feel Ranma's nervous warmth radiating through her blouse and realized that she had somehow pressed herself against the boy's side. She dared to look up at his face and noted with some serious disappointment that he looked ready to jump out of his skin.

Someone behind her, that sounded very much like Umi Daito, whistled a catcall that was shamelessly mimicked by several other groups. Giggling and cooing echoed from her immediate left and right causing Ami's flesh to burn with embarrassment. She rapidly put almost two meters between her body and Ranma's, but the damage had been done. More people started to chuckle, but their laughter seemed to die rapidly. Ami wanted to know why, but for the life of her couldn't bring herself to look up.

What had she been thinking? The rapidly fading images of a time long since dead left her feeling confused and vulnerable. She couldn't decide whether the memory had been of Aramas, or if it had simply been her subconscious changing the memory to better suit the present.

…Aramas?

She mentally clutched the name like it was a lifeline. In a sense it was. It was easy to remember the symbol that had blazed on Ranma's forehead in the alley, but that didn't automatically mean he had been a part of the Silver Millennium…did it? She shook her head slightly and filed the problem away for another time. At this moment she had more pressing concerns.

It wasn't until she felt a soft, gentle weight settle on her shoulder that she dared turn. To her surprise, Ranma was glaring at a group of snickering boys with such intensity that the trio was forced to turn away nervously.

"You okay?" His voice was soft and low, meant just for her. She nodded and shivered.

"I'm so sor…" Her voice was cut off as Ranma held up his hand and smiled.

"Don't worry about it."

"But they'll think…!"

"So what?"

Ami's heart skipped a beat, and she wasn't certain how to reply to his statement. The room seemed incredibly hot for some reason.

"I thought that you wanted to just be friends?" she said weakly.

"I do." Ranma's voice was casual as he turned to face out the large window once more.

"I…I don't think I understand." Ami wasn't certain that she could understand much of anything at the moment. Those silly little hearts kept getting in the way of her vision.

"Let'em think what they will, Ami-chan." Ranma said dismissively, leaning his elbows against the low railing in front of the window.

"But, doesn't it bother you that they will assume we're dating?" Ranma shrugged.

"The rumor mill's gunna make up their own stories any way. At least this way I won't be bothered by no air headed chicks lookin' for a trophy boyfriend." Ranma turned back to her and grinned in that oh-so-familiar way of his. "…'sides, if I have to be datin' someone, I could do a lot worse than a cute girl like you. Don'tcha think?"

Ami blinked and immediately dropped her face to the floor to hide her still growing blush. After a few minutes of silence she finally gathered up her courage and passed Ranma his juice.

"Thanks."

His smile sent shivers down her spine and left her fingers feeling tingly. She watched his hands as they carefully opened the can. It didn't seem to matter how mundane the things he did seemed; he moved with such grace and control that Ami found herself completely mesmerized. It wasn't hard to get lost in a hazy daydream involving those powerful hands.

The Logic Centers of her brain, after having lost so many battles in the recent weeks to this young man, put their collective foot down – effectively squashing that line of thought and replacing it with something more appropriate for the situation.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" She asked, nodding to the city beneath them. It was a lame attempt at conversation, but Ranma didn't seem to notice. "So many people doing so many different things, and all of them living side by side…."

He just shrugged and turned his attention back to the city that sprawled beneath him. There was a look of mild disgust as she watched his eyes take in the crowded sprawl of the tedious urban topography. Looking out over the northern half of Tokyo, it was easy for Ami to see the Diet and the Imperial Palace from where she stood, but the sight had lost some of its grandeur next to the constant temptation of the boy next to her.

She stole another glance up at him as he sipped his juice and lost herself in the memory of his effortless strength. It was impossible to forget the warmth of his arms or the calm, calculated way that he breathed just before leaping to the next roof. Ami suppressed a shiver of delight at the thought of indulging in such a wonderful sensation again someday. She stole a surreptitious glance at Ranma again and noted that he was looking down at the crowd below.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked with a small smile. When he didn't answer right away, Ami reached out and gently touched his arm.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright Ranma-kun?"

His smile was tired and carried with it a shadow of cynicism. "Yeah. Just wishing for a normal life."

It was Ami's turn to smile tiredly.

"What's that?"

She smiled warmly as he chuckled and turned his back on the sprawl of the city and leaned heavily against the glass. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and shrugged.

"Not real sure. I ain't seen everything out there yet, but if I find it I'll be sure to let you know." He chuckled lightly and Ami couldn't stop herself from joining him.

She watched his beautiful blue eyes, luxuriating in the warmth and acceptance that she found there. The warmth was replaced by shock as he looked behind Ami. She started to turn, but never got a good look at what had caused him such concern. One minute she was standing, and the next she was flying – propelled by Ranma's incredible shove.

The crash of breaking glass was muffled as she hit the floor and rolled. She tumbled to her knees, bringing the impromptu flight to a quick end. The world around her had erupted in an all too familiar scene of chaos.

Men, women, and children of all ages screamed and stampeded for the elevators and emergency exits. Ami scanned the Observation Deck, looking for Ranma, and for what caused the disruption, but nothing was visible.

Terror was palpable in the air as the people attempted to escape the invisible danger, making it impossible to find her friend. It was bedlam. Ami's vision slowly tracked back to where she and Ranma had been standing, noting for the first time the frigid winds blowing through the shattered remains of the window.

She blinked at the long, fluttering scrap of cloth impaled by a shard of blood stained glass. Had she not already been on her knees she would have fallen to the floor. Her stomach was twisted in a sick knot and her whole body felt as if someone had stolen all of her strength. How many times had she lived this nightmare? How many times had she worried that someone close to her would be stolen away? A vice of guilt gripped her heart, making it hard for her to catch her breath.

Tears slowly fell from her eyes, blurring the large diabolic shadow that suddenly took shape before her. It hovered menacingly waiting for something. Ami blinked away the tears enough to take note of the fine silks and masked face of her tormentor. His furred arms were large, the size of thick branches, and his enormous, clawed hands, resting casually at the creature's sides were tattooed with strange, yet oddly familiar, runes.

Memory…true memory, raced through her heart and mind at the sight of the beast. Ami brought her hands to her chest, subconsciously remembering the feel of the arrows striking home once more. The heat and the smell of blood washed over her…and the sounds…Ra's golden wings! The sounds of the dying! They were everywhere! All because of this beast and those like him.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

The fiend's deep baritone voice was chilling, stealing all sense of hope from her numb frame. She tracked one massive hand, dazedly noting the grotesque, black claws that seemed to absorb the light. She followed the appendage until it led to the thing's eyes. Once her gaze found them, she felt lost in the grip of horror. One milky blue orb stared down at her sightlessly, but its partner was aflame with recognition and obsessive hunger.

Ami wanted to crawl away – to hide beneath the covers of her bed, or find comfort from this nightmare come to life in the arms of her mother. But there was no comfort to be had here. There was only the dark memory of blood – fiery blood – and a name.

"Marut." Her throat constricted around the whispered name, attempting to keep it hidden in the dark recesses of her heart. The fear attached to the name seemed to cause the beast to smile darkly.

"Yeeesssss."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tendo Dojo**  
Nerima

Kasumi settled herself onto a pillow at the dinner table and sighed. With father and Uncle out drinking, and Nabiki entertaining her new friends in the dojo, the house was quiet once more and Kasumi found it unsettling. The quiet moments were always to be dreaded. That was when the emptiness came and the memories of the dead would return full force. She hated the quiet moments more than anything, which was why she would turn the television on to drown out the silence. She never really watched or even paid attention to what was on, it was just noise to fill the emptiness that had once housed the voices of her mother and baby sister.

Today was no different. She pulled out her sewing basket from the corner and thumbed the remote. A TV novella came to life and Kasumi immediately turned her attention to the new skirt she was making for her sister. It wouldn't be polite to point out that Nabiki had become a bit more hippy than she had been, especially since the poor dear hated any reminder that she was different now. At the same time, it wasn't proper for a young lady to wearing clothes that were two sizes too small.

Kasumi sighed again as she threaded her needle. She had lost all desire to cling to propriety long ago, but in the face of the changes that her family had been forced to endure, Kasumi felt a need to give them some sense of normalcy to cling to. Nabiki and her father needed the dutiful matron to remain, regardless of what Kasumi wanted.

It was times like these that Kasumi, to her eternal shame, cursed her mother and sister for dying. She'd always hated the role of caregiver, but who else could do it? Father had always been too lost in his own grief to step up and take responsibility, and Nabiki had been too focused on her own needs to be bothered…at least up until Akane had died. They had both changed a bit for the better then, for Ranma's sake. But they still expected Kasumi to manage the mundane, day-to-day routine – in spite of the fact that Kasumi had other dreams and needs of her own.

What she wouldn't give to switch places with Nabiki right now! She would embrace her destiny without looking back! To Hell with the laundry! To Hell with the grocery lists and dinner menus! She would ride the backs of dragons and scream triumphantly in the face of the storm!

She would be free, as she had always yearned to be.

The eldest Tendo daughter lost herself in a silly little daydream as she sewed, wherein she met a handsome prince and together they quested to unlock a curse that kept an entire kingdom asleep and imprisoned in their dreams. She would of course be a magical princess that held the key to freeing the people from their eternal slumber.

Kasumi had to admit that she was rather fond of the storyline. It was one that she revisited quite often, mostly because she would always be interrupted before she could break the spell. The last time she'd visited the daydream, she'd discovered that the handsome prince was actually her long-lost older brother, and that he had come to find her because she was the only one with the power to defeat the witch that had cast the spell.

A part of her knew it was a silly past time, but she couldn't help but cling to it. Father had Uncle Genma and his memories of their training together, and Nabiki had this whole Huntress business. Who could begrudge Kasumi a little wishful thinking?

It wasn't like it would ever come true.

She sighed again and paused in her sewing as the TV novella was interrupted by a breaking news bulletin. The young reporter looked nervous and excited, directing the cameraman to aim his camera up at the tower. One the bottom right portion of the screen there was a photo of a middle-aged man, with the words: "The voice of Eijiro Hirasi, Producer, Channel 8, live from Tokyo Tower." The voice coming through the television's speakers was panicked and terrified. The screen spilt, showing a very digitized view of the interior of the tower. A large shadow seemed to be stepping free from the shadows and began moving towards a familiar silhouette. A sudden stampede of bodies moving away from the commotion caused the images, obviously from a mini-camera of some kind, to be jostled. Amidst the chaotic images, Kasumi caught a glimpse of a little girl clinging to the cameraman's leg. Right beside her face was the numeric logo of the Channel 41 news program.

"…stay close Maemi-chan!" The camera righted itself. "I repeat: Something has just stepped from the shadows on the north side of the main…Oh! Oh no!" There was a loud crash and a great deal of screaming.

"Hirasi-san?"

The pictures were frenzied and jumbled as people continued to run past the camera, but the scene cleared enough to show a girl being menaced by a monster on the main observation deck of the Tokyo Tower. The window behind her was shattered and covered in blood. Kasumi gasped and felt her heart constrict fearfully for the girl.

"Hirasi-san, what just happened?"

Hirasi-san's voice was sedate as he quickly moved his child to safety.

"The creature just knocked some poor kid out of the window."

The live feed on the left, outside of the tower, caused Kasumi's world to shatter. The camera zoomed in close, magnifying the tiny speck that was falling from the tower enough to recognize the familiar figure plummeting towards the ground at an ungodly speed.

Ranma.

Even from a distance, she could read the determined expression on his face as he rocketed to his death. Kasumi felt a growing sense of helpless anger at the world and it's cruelty. The television switched back to the conflict inside the tower, leaving the eldest Tendo to clutch Nabiki's new skirt tightly until the fabric tore beneath her trembling fingers. Her heart knew an unquenchable grief at the thought of losing yet another person, and that grief was rapidly becoming something else.

She growled deep in her throat, and somewhere above her thunder seemed to mimic her. It had never felt right letting her rage find a voice. Mother never would have approved. But now…upon seeing this, there was nothing but fury left. The television was the first victim to weather her ire, but it would not be the last.

There was an old saying, forgotten by many over the years: "It is best to let sleeping dragons lie."

Kasumi had no idea what she intended to do but, by all that she held dear, someone was going to pay for stealing her happiness. Her first thought was to go and deal with the issue herself. Sadly, she did not have the resources to handle monsters. However, she knew someone that had recently been blessed with the means to move on her behalf.

"NABIKI!"

The thing about dragons is that once woken, they're a devil to put back to sleep. Heaven help whatever poor soul crossed their path.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower**

Minako, Makoto, and Usagi turned to the sound of the screams and saw a shadow pulling itself from the darkness of the ceiling. The crowd had already started its stampede towards the exit, buffeting the girls left and right. Makoto and Minako secured Usagi's arms and towed her up onto the bench they'd been sitting on, before the crowd could steal her away. The added height gave the taller girls a clear sight of the monster as it rapidly bore down on Ranma and Ami.

Makoto could only watch as Ranma shoved Ami out of the line of fire and was backhanded through the window for his troubles. She watched mutely, as time seemed to slow. His face seemed frozen in rage as he desperately twisted his body to protect his head. Minako screamed as Ranma's side was cut by a long jagged piece of glass, painting the air and what remained of the window crimson; and then…he was gone – falling over 150 meters to the ground below.

"NO!"

Makoto roared her denial, and began vainly pushing her way through the thinning crowd. All that she could see in her mind's eye was the happy smile on Auntie's face - the smile that would forever be shattered at the knowledge that her son was well and truly dead. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Makoto could hear Usagi calling out to her, but her mind was focused solely on the monster that was even now menacing poor Ami.

There was no thought about identities. There was no thought about past quarrels. There was only the liquid fire of Makoto's anger. The Heavens outside of the tower screamed in answer to her rage as she called the lightning to her.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo**

Herb and Xian Pu sat high above the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo streets, enjoying the thrill of the wind and the silence. Their initial discomfort had been replaced by a quiet acceptance, and Xian Pu had allowed herself to rest peacefully in the Musk king's arms. They should have been back long ago, but neither could bring themselves to end the special moment. It seemed an unspoken fact that they wouldn't get another one for a long time to come.

Herb stiffened slightly, and Xian Pu felt his head turn to look to the northwest. She turned slightly to see his brow furrow thoughtfully and then he smiled.

/Why do you grin like a fool/ She drew his chin back to face her.

/How can I not/ His eyes softened as he looked at her, causing Xian Pu to blush.

/If I knew you were thinking of me, I might be flattered. Your eyes tell a different story though./

/You are very perceptive, my Amazon Princess./

/Contrary to popular belief, my head is not full of air. Unlike a flattering dragon I have come to know./ She elbowed Herb in the ribs and shifted in his arms until she could look him fully in the eye.

/Ouch/ He rubbed his side and poked Xian Pu in the belly in retaliation. She grabbed his wrist before he could fully escape her. They sat like that for a time, before Herb leaned forward and stole a kiss. Xian Pu put up a token resistance, before relaxing into his arms again.

/Are you going to answer my question/ She asked.

/I found something that I've been looking for/ He evaded.

/Oh? Do tell/ She snuggled deeper into his arms as a chill wind swept over the roof top.

/I had a dream recently…a dragon's dream./ Xian Pu bit her lip and fought not to sit up and interrupt Herb. /I met one of my ancestors and was told to look for someone./

/Who/ Xian Pu frowned at the long silence that grew between them. It was almost as if Herb didn't want to reveal anything more. When he finally did speak, Xian Pu noted that he seemed to be hunting for the right words.

/A kindred spirit. Someone that could break a spell./ He paused and looked ready to continue, but didn't say anything else.

/Can you tell me more/

/Later perhaps, when the dream is clearer in my mind. Suffice it to say that I now know where to search./

Xian Pu draped her arms over his and looked over to Tokyo Tower. The needle like spire stabbed heavenward like an angry metal finger. A coldness gripped her heart and she felt Herb stiffen again. This time though, the air was not charged with excitement as it had been. There was a tenseness that seemed all too familiar to the pair. When lightning struck the tower out of a clear sky, there was little doubt that something was seriously wrong. Quickly gathering their burdens Xian Pu climbed into Herb's arms. He barely waited for her to settle before launching himself from the building's roof, towards the disturbance in the distance.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Aumemnon**  
The Library of Beth Usel

The past was stone, the present fluid, and the future a fine, yet elusive mist of possibility. Aevi had told him that the day he was chosen as the Avatar of the Threy. If anyone would know, he supposed the Guardian of the Gates would.

As much as he wanted to deny her wisdom, Mu Tsu knew that there was no escaping what was. He had long ago been an urchin named Themus, picking pockets on the streets of Medea and avoiding all contact with anyone remotely tied to authority. He had lived free, until the Threy came for him. He'd tried to escape them, but every time he'd found sanctuary, they had already been lying in wait for him.

They gave him no explanations and they had offered no comfort to a terrified child. He remembered all the stories about the Threy he'd heard as a child. Most of them were silly tales meant to scare a child into behaving, and some of them were tame fantasies when faced with the reality of Threyian cruelty. They had changed him and he had hated them for it.

They stole his eyes, so that he could "see" time as it flowed around them. He was their voice to the rest of creation, for good or ill. Mu Tsu could still feel the sensation of people cringing and squirming uncomfortably as he entered a room. The only people besides the Threy who had been immune to his presence had been Aevi, Serenity, and Aramus. Serenity, though she held no true power over him, was an inspiring figure he'd come to love and respect as the mother he'd never known. Aevi was the love he longed to know, but was forever forbidden to pursue.

And then there was Aramus…

Mu Tsu could see the ties between Ranma and Aramus easily enough and was amused at the cosmic irony their lives had become. In the days of the Silver Millennium, Serenity's son had been a breath of fresh air to Themus, becoming the closest thing to a friend the Avatar of Time had ever known.

It was quite the contrast to what Ranma Saotome had become for Mu Tsu of the Joketsuzoku.

Mu Tsu knew that he was at a crossroads. The Threy were obviously aware of this moment, and therefore would not let him simply return to being the young man he had been. They would come for him as they had in Medea, hounding him until he reclaimed the mantle once more.

There was little to do but embrace the destiny he'd been called to, but that didn't mean that he would serve the interests of the Threy blindly, as he had the first time around. Until he could make a trip to the Gates with Aevi he was limited in what he could "see" and do, which was both a blessing and a curse.

Mu Tsu closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift upon the currents of the present, marking the places he could go and events that he could influence. Xi Fu was being looked after, but Phau Set was obviously in need of something to focus her anger and frustration. His beloved Xian Pu had found someone to fill the void Saotome had left in her heart and, strange as it might sound, Mu Tsu was happy for her. Sure he felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought, but reliving a past life had a way of tempering his emotions. Her choice was rather odd to be sure, but Mu Tsu couldn't think of a more powerful guardian for his darling Xian Pu.

Dwelling on failed romances was leaving a foul taste in his mouth, so Mu Tsu glanced into Ranma's current doings.

"Gods above and below! What have you gotten yourself into now, Saotome?"

Without thinking, Mu Tsu reached out and grabbed hold of Ryouga in one hand, and bent time and space to collect Phau Set with the other. Even though he could walk between moments now, Mu Tsu knew that there was no time to waste. Once he was certain he knew when to go, he stepped through the fold in time, dragging his companions with him.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Odan had lived for over ten thousand years without the benefit of reincarnation. He was tired and his spirit was ready to move on. The moment Mu Tsu embraced his past the seals binding the old man to this plane were sundered. He appeared on the steps leading up to the Great Library of Beth Usel, amidst a gathered crowd of concerned citizens who had been drawn by the magical display playing out above the building.

Odan looked up and saw the past lives of Mu Tsu and Ryouga on display for all to see. Most could not comprehend the information, but there were many among the crowd who connected the young men with the stories and myths they had heard from Odan as children. He chuckled and rasped, at the wide-eyed look on Phau Set's face. She saw his shady, although tragically heroic past in all its glory and the poor girl's world had once again been turned upside down. It was obvious that she was more in love with the fool than she had been, and that made Odan's smile grow.

The twit would have to be truly blind not to see her true feelings. Themus or Mu Tsu, or whatever he ended up calling himself now, would be in for it if he spurned her. Maybe the boy would embrace love this time around and find some measure of happiness.

Odan's smile never faltered as hundreds of his descendants gathered around their ancestor. His passing was quiet, and it would be noted that he died surrounded by the love of his progeny.

What greater legacy could one hope for?

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower**

Mio Kogara watched in horror as her newest student was launched through the plate glass window. She heard her students crying and screaming around her and watched numbly as the newest monster, in a long run of monsters turned its attention to her star pupil. There was no one to stop it, and somehow, she knew that she was going to have to be the one to tell Saotome-san and Mizuno-sensei that their only children had been killed.

Lightning flashed outside, causing her to blink. She quickly scanned the crowd for any sign of her other students. One look at Makoto Kino caused her to faint dead away. There was only so much bad news that a person could handle in a day.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Usagi was assaulted by noise and fear. A tide of people nearly overwhelmed her, and had it not been for Minako and Makoto, she was certain that her body would have been trampled. The air around her was supercharged with panic. The need to run and hide was instinctual, but after fighting the forces of evil for such a long time, that need had become buried beneath something more maternal.

She fought down the urge to join the crowd and started searching out the bad guy. She heard the glass breaking before she saw it, but all too soon she found herself staring down the nightmare come to life. Minako screamed and Makoto yelled something that was drowned out by the screaming of the crowd, but Usagi didn't spare her friends a side-glance. All of her attention was on the creature advancing on Ami.

The enemies that they had faced to date had never looked quite so imposing before. Standing at over six foot tall, its long thin legs bent backwards at a very inhuman angle, the creature was draped head to toe in expensive looking blue and red silks. The sleeveless shirt revealed brown and gold fur covering its hands and arms.

In any other setting, Usagi might have complimented it on its stylish fashion sense. However the thing was about to squish Ami, so telling it that she thought its wardrobe was snappy just wasn't cool. Nope. It was time to take this thing out before anyone got hurt.

Usagi started hunting for a place to transform, noting that most of the crowds had bunched around the elevators and emergency exits. Most had their attention on the tableau unfolding between Ami and the monster, but more than a few were trying to get her and Makoto to join them.

Drat! How was she supposed to handle this without revealing her secret?

Makoto took that choice away from her as lightning flashed angrily around the tower from a clear sky. Usagi immediately began to pray.

_Pleasedon'ttransform! Pleasedon'ttransform! Pleasedon'ttransform!_

Too late, she noted the sign of Jupiter explode to life on Makoto's forehead, and without the aid of her henshin, Makoto's clothes melted away in a cascade of electricity. Usagi went bug eyed, as did a number of their classmates. She wanted to scream and cry and stomp her foot. She wanted to smack Makoto silly for blowing their cover in front of so many witnesses, but the fact that the monster was about to kill Ami pulled her up short.

True lightning – complete with the scorched smell of ozone, danced up and down Mako…er, Sailor Jupiter's body. And now that Usagi had her attention riveted to the Senshi of Storms, she noted a remarkable difference in the familiar uniform that her friend wore. The bodice of her fuku was no longer white, but scaled – much like a fish or reptile. Normally sleeveless, the whole left arm of her uniform was covered in an iridescent metal that reminded Usagi of a dragonfly's carapace. The normal tiara was gone as well, replaced by a crown adorned with…antlers?

Usagi was so taken back by the change that she barely registered the second crash of glass that echoed throughout the Observation Deck. There was no denying the sonic boom that followed soon after though – that was enough to knock Usagi off the bench and onto her bottom. Sailor Jupiter wasn't far behind her.

Usagi looked at her friend worriedly, and followed her shocked gaze to where someone was beating the snot out of Mr. Nasty. The pair moved at such astonishing speeds that she could hardly track their movements. It was only when the monster was launched across the length of the tower that Usagi got a good look at Ami's savior.

"RANMA?"

She wasn't sure which was more disconcerting – the fact that he had just punched the bad guy the length of the Observation Deck, or the fact that he was glowing blood red and looked ready to kill.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**The Ministry of Education and Culture**  
Office of Cultural Heritage, Japanese Diet Building 

Setsuna looked up from her desk tiredly and felt something notably shift in the air. It wasn't the temperature, the weight, or even the quality…it was something more. Something…magical. She closed her eyes and immediately focused her spirit, easily picking up the disturbance. It took her some time to find a window, but once she had a clear view of Tokyo Tower, she was just in time to see Jupiter's massive lightning bolt strike the monument. She could already hear the sirens of emergency vehicles moving towards the tower, and it didn't take much to guess at what was happening.

Ur had made his opening move.

Tapping the ornate silver bracelet at her wrist, she activated the all-call that would summon the other Senshi and made her way hurriedly to an emergency stairwell. She waited only long enough for the door to start closing before she called upon her planet and transformed. Power flooded her body, and with it came an awareness of something very familiar. A grim smile graced her lips as songs of rebirth coursed through her soul.

A heartbeat later, Sailor Pluto was gone.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower**

Ranma had known the sensation of freefalling since the tender age of four. He had battled in the air most of his life, and thus knew intimately how to "dance the winds." He angled his body back towards the tower, streamlining himself to gather as much speed as he could. His face was murderous as he sought the appropriate set of bars that would allow him the momentum he needed to get back to the observation deck.

He didn't have much time to choose, either. The longer that he fell, the longer the trip back up was bound to take. And from the way that giant shadow monster had launched him through the window, time was something he didn't have a lot of. Not if he was going to save lives.

An image of Ami's body, broken and bloody, flashed through his mind just as he caught the first iron crossbar. He looped and allowed his momentum to build even further before letting go near the apex of his swing. Had anyone been there to see the maneuver, they would have admitted to only seeing a grayish-black blur shooting upward at incredible speeds.

The higher he went the more speed bled off of him. He ignored the flashing lightning and the subsequent thunder that made his ears ring. He had other more pressing problems at the moment than a storm. Namely that he was going to fall short of the deck by at least ten meters. He swore and looked for another vaulting point, even as he angled himself closer to the tower's supports. The jump wasn't going to be all that difficult. There was one hell of a crosswind to contend with, but that wasn't his main concern. It was all that damn glass that he'd have to navigate through.

He pushed aside the smell of rain and let out a short string of curses as he launched himself from another iron beam. The wind had pushed him around the tower, away from the window that he had been knocked out of, and there wasn't enough time to climb back to where he had been. The thing had been too close to Ami, even after Ranma had pushed her out of the way. No, Ranma was going to have to make a new entrance for himself.

An unbroken window came into view and Ranma knew that he was in for a world of hurt. Another vicious wind caught him from behind and sent him rocketing straight towards the thick glass wall looming before him.

Ranma cursed never learning the Breaking Point technique, but decided that it was past time to come up with something of his own. He gathered his Ki into his right index finger and stabbed it forward repeatedly at Amaguri-ken speeds. He combined the air pressure with the wind pushing him forward and focused them on one single point, much like he had done to defeat Ryouga time in and time out.

The glass rocked at the assault and then, after a heartbeat, cracked. Ranma held his breath as he shot towards the window and continued his brutal assault. With little more than a foot left to him, the entire window exploded inward, allowing him free passage onto the glass littered floor of the Observation Deck. He rolled, feeling tiny shards of glass cutting and imbedding into his back, and slid to a halt on his knees on the opposite side of Ami.

The beast, a demonic parody of an anthropomorphic cheetah, had its arm raised ready for the killing blow. Ranma reacted, violently forgoing the desire to cringe in a corner at the sight of the thing's feline nature in favor of killing the creature out right. There was no kiyai, no fancy name to announce the attack, just cold calculated death. His hands blurred, cutting through the air at supersonic speeds that created a sonic boom. The Observation Deck shook at the noise, and more glass shattered throughout the monument.

He was surprised to see its arm intercept the attack at the last second. Black blood exploded from the monster's forearm as Ranma's vacuum blade visibly cut to the bone. It growled in pain and settled itself eagerly for Ranma's continued assault.

Ranma unlocked every single lethal attack he knew, and invented some on the spot in order to savage the monster before him. Blow after blow hit true, at speeds that Ranma had never dreamed he could attain. His rage was now visible to the naked eye in the form of ghostly red flames that made the air warp and blur around him.

With a cry, Ranma slammed his fists against the thing's chest with almost everything that he had. Bones shattered beneath the assault and a part of Ranma's mind rebelled at the thought of what he had just done.

The monster roared as it flew the length of the deck into a support, crumpling it like cardboard. The tower shook again, more violently this time, causing people to scream. Ranma noted their locations while keeping his hulking opponent firmly in his peripheral vision. He felt more than saw Ami drawing up carefully at his side, but made it a point not to look at her. He needed to remain focused on the task at hand, and the best way to do that was to get her out of harm's way. Something in him knew that the battle had just begun, and that fact was coldly driven home as the monster began to shift, lifting itself from the debris that had fallen on him.

The creature's body was misshapen and broken, but even as Ranma watched he could see wounds healing and bones resetting themselves. It was impossible, but the evidence was there for all to see. Ranma felt sick to his stomach, and an unnatural fear twisted his guts into knots. In spite of that feeling, he knew that he had to win this fight…regardless of the cost. That meant getting Ami to safety.

"Run."

Ami shook her head in grim determination. Ranma growled at her refusal to move away from his side as he settled into a loose ready stance. He blocked the monster's path to her with his body, backing her slowly towards the crowd as his opponent advanced.

"You're going to get in my way."

"I can help!" Her voice was focused and he noted that she was reaching for something. More anger swelled in him as history began to repeat itself in his mind. He growled and watched as the thing stood to its full height again.

"Dammit, Isis!" He barked, not catching his slip, as the monster started to take another step forward. Why did women have to be so difficult? Images of Akane defiantly proclaiming herself to him filled Ranma's heart. He never noticed the bloody color of his aura change to a sickly green. He wasn't going to lose someone else! Never again! Without taking his eyes off of the tattered and bloody thing before him, he shoved Ami as hard as he dared, away from him towards the security of the crowd.

He heard her stumble once and then she was crying out his name. Someone must have pulled her into the crowd.

Good.

The beast started to circle wide, moving towards the crowd, but before Ranma could react a bolt of lightning caught the thing from behind and to the left. It roared in agony and started into a stumbling run, heading directly towards where Ranma had pushed Ami.

Without thought for his own safety, Ranma launched himself at the creature. The pair collided and rolled through a number of benches and a souvenir counter. The thing was tough; Ranma had to give it that. Strong too. But there was no way in hell that he was going to let it get to Ami and the others.

No matter what it cost him.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Blow after vicious blow rocked the Observation Deck as Ami tracked Ranma's progress. She was mad at him. No, that wasn't true. She was royally pissed at him. His skills were amazing, but for every blow that he landed, his opponent landed three. And while his fighting prowess was beyond description, nothing had caught her more off guard than when he had called her Isis.

Something clicked and the name, in and of itself, became a key to a torrent of memories; none of which she could afford to indulge in at the moment. As if to punctuate the point, there was a sharp crack and Ranma growled in pain as the monster slammed him face first into the tiled floor, causing it to spider web outward beneath his poor battered body.

The air about her began to freeze visibly at the sight of his dilemma, causing those holding her in check to look at each other in concern. Their breath came out in small puffs, but that was not what had truly garnered their attention. Ami was certain that she was the cause of their unease. She could see the cold ambient glow of her power radiating off of her body, and when she chanced a glance at the tile beneath her feet, she saw the symbol of Mercury mirrored there.

The men restraining her hastily let go as Ami's clothing began to harden. The sound of ice cracking drew the crowd's attention to her, but she didn't care. All of her attention was on Marut as the cheetah headed Rhakshasa continued to grapple with Ranma.

Her school uniform shattered and, like Jupiter, her former ensemble had been replaced, leaving her clothed in the armor of Mercury. The white bodice of her uniform was replaced with silvery blue chain mail. It jingled coldly, sounding like icicles chiming in a breeze, as she advanced into the battle. Her delicate tiara also disappeared, being replaced by a translucent crown of ice. A hooded cobra, wrapped in the down swept wings of two falcons, framed the glowing symbol of Mercury that still radiated fiercely on her forehead.

The rapid staccato of her boots rang out on the tiled floor as she reached into the air and instinctively reshaped the moisture available to her. There was no thought for what she did or how she did it. All that she could see was that Ranma was in peril. He needed her and she wouldn't stand by and watch him die for her sake.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo **

Saffron, restored to his adult glory, stood atop the Sony building surveying the hodge-podge nightmare that was Tokyo. The sprawl was confounding and very ugly to his eyes – nothing like the orderly cities of Sepsis and Thun that had once graced the now barren wastes of the Sahara.

It had been over three thousand years since he had visited the graves of his brothers and sister. Three thousand years of madness. Three thousand years of darkness. Ra's radiant wings! How could he let himself forget? He wanted to fly there now and atone for his dishonor, but there was little doubt that the sands had long ago claimed the monuments he had built for the fallen.

"Isis, forgive me," he prayed, trying to escape the weight of his guilt. He stared into the sky, hoping for a response…any response to know that he had been heard. The heavens were silent, and so too was the earth. Perhaps there was no forgiveness for one such as he.

"Goddess! What have I become?" He collapsed in on himself and wished that some divine hand would scour his soul clean from the face of the Earth. A pair of warm, comforting hands began kneading his shoulders right between his wings. It was a wondrous sensation…. The incongruity of the situation hit him full force, and he launched himself from the tower with a mighty flap of his wings.

Akane Tendo looked up at him hauntingly from the edge of his roost. She showed no fear of falling, as if being at this height was the most natural thing in the world. Sadness and shame flashed across her face as she let her hands drop to her sides.

"Masura tripped and dropped his canteen on me." It was odd to hear Kiima's sultry voice speak from Akane's lips. "We cannot build a fire here without attracting attention." She added matter-of-factly.

"So be it." He tried to sound understanding, but all that came from his mouth was aloof indifference. "Bring me water and I will heat it for you."

"Does it bother you to look upon me, Lord?" He could not hide himself from the hope in her voice, nor could he lie to her.

"A little."

Kiima held her head in shame and started to turn.

"Please. Stay." He wasn't sure why he stopped her, save that she brought him comfort. He flew back to his roost and continued his vigil over the city. Kiima began massaging his shoulders again.

"What do you seek?" she asked softly.

"A sign. Absolution. I cannot be certain."

"Will we find her? Isis, I mean."

Saffron sighed and leaned back against the young woman's chest. Kiima wrapped her human arms around his neck and held him close.

"Of that I have little doubt, Kiima." He pointed at a large iron tower near the center of the district. "The Ginzuisho sings to me from there. And nearby…nearby…." Saffron stopped and sat up straight, staring at the tower through narrowed eyes. Small tongues of flame erupted from his body.

"I can feel the cold fires of Mercury building! Quickly Kiima! Gather the others!"

Saffron's seneschal ran as fast as her human legs could carry her calling out to the others. It was all that the Phoenix King could do to contain his eagerness. The Horus had been asleep too long. It was time that his goddess woke them to their past glories.

In no time at all, the small contingent from Phoenix Mountain gathered around their ruler. Kiima handed him a small glass of water that he heated with just a touch. He poured it over the woman's head, and Akane Tendo's features transformed into another, very attractive, young woman with beautiful white wings.

"Come." Saffron launched himself into the air blazing a trail for his followers straight toward Tokyo Tower.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower**

Ranma bit back a scream as his left arm snapped just below the elbow. The shoulder had already been dislocated twice, and up until this last injury he had done an amazing job ignoring the pain. Now it was all that he could do to remain conscious as he swept the demon's legs out from underneath it. He swallowed desperately and back flipped away in order to give him some breathing space. The thing was down, but Ranma wasn't sure how much of a break it was going to give him.

He hadn't had to deal with a broken bone in a while – not one this bad at least. Had he been a lesser man, there was little doubt that he would have been a red stain on the wall long ago. The only consolation that he had was that the monster was in the same boat, in spite of it ability to regenerate. Broken ribs had been making it difficult for the thing to breath for a while now, and the wound Ranma had given it at the beginning of the battle was still leaking like a small black waterfall. Ranma's only hope had been to tax the thing's ability to heal itself to the point of overload. The only problem with that strategy was that Ranma had to outlast the thing.

The young martial artist watched the demon warily and began to prepare himself for his next, and most likely final move. He had run out of tricks about half way through the fight and had been holding the Hiryu Shoten Ha in reserve in case things turned dicey.

He could readily admit to himself that things had progressed beyond dicey and were now officially in the "How-in-the-hell-am-I-gunna-make-it-outta-this-one?" basket. Nothing was coming to him. He reset his shoulder again as quickly as he could and tenderly tucked his broken arm into what was left of his school jacket, causing his legs to turn rubbery and his mind to swim. There was no way to really secure it yet, but he felt confident that he'd be able to avoid further injury. He desperately focused on where his opponent had fallen to block out the fatigue and pain.

The mountain of rubble shifted, and for an instant, Ranma's eyes were wide with hope. The demon had fallen on a shattered display case and glass had impaled it through the chest and throat. It labored to its feet, drawing Ranma's eyes to the grotesque wound in the middle of its chest. How in the hell was it still alive?

Damnit! It was just his damn luck that he was dealing with another terminator knockoff.

Laughing at Ranma's shock and dismay, the demon wrenched the main shard from its body and tossed it aside. The glass shattered, shaking Ranma from his stupor.

"Well done, little man. But sadly, our playtime must come to an end."

"Why does every bad guy under the sun, have to be a cheesy bastard?" Ranma growled. He thinned his profile in order to protect his arm and offer less of a target to his enemy. The beast just laughed all the harder as he ripped the remnants of his silken robes from his shoulders.

"Soon your bravado will give way to terror, Son of Adam." The creature's bloody face split into a severe smile that made Ranma shudder. "Let us see what fears lurk in your heart, shall we?" The monster brought his arms above his head and clenched his hands into fists, causing the world around Ranma to fall away.

Ranma fought the invasion as best he could, but the demon tore through his attempts with ease, leaving him completely disoriented. The smell of fish was strong in his nostrils and he could feel his skin crawl at the feeling of a hundred pair of hungry eyes on his back.

NO! It was a trick – an illusion! He just had to concentrate and pray that the thing didn't kill him before he could break free of the hallucination. He closed his eyes and started to push his ki outward. He wasn't going to fall to this! Not now! Not when there was so much at stake!

Ranma's eye's bugged as an all too familiar purr rumbled in his ears, shattering his focus. He felt something brush against his back, and tried to move into the weak light that filtered down from the top of the black pit that he had been imprisoned in. Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard someone screaming in terror, and knew instinctively that it was his voice. It was no use trying to escape from the pit any more. After all, what was the point when the beasts could always find him? He could run all he wanted, fight as hard as he pleased; in the end it was always the same. In the end, he always became a beast himself.

He could already feel the darkness stirring within him.

The beginning of a silent prayer to his ancestors was all he got out before the shadows of his darkest horror claimed him. And then the world truly did descend into blackness.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Marut reveled in the terror that washed off his opponent. He had to give the human credit. He had offered up a wondrous – if pointless – battle. Sadly, all things must come to an end. He spun and held the boy aloft, prepared to consume the warrior's soul to demoralize Senshi Mercury.

What he found facing him was not the person he remembered from so long ago. Her uniform was different than he remembered, and her badly concealed fury was like blood in the water. The Rhakshasa was going to enjoy breaking her before he took her head. Her indecision and concern for the human whelp, made the boy's death all the more appealing to Marut.

Plans on how best to draw the moment out were interrupted as the boy kicked and scrambled for purchase. Marut was truly surprised that the human had any fight left in him at all. Truly this was an amazing toy he'd found. When the boy's body began to convulse and squirm, Marut smiled darkly. The torture the child was experiencing must be exquisite indeed, to provoke such a reaction!

He watched raptly as his opponent's sanity fled, and then, without warning, Marut felt an incredible pain explode across his torso. The insane boy hissed at him, much like a cat, and made a clawing motion with his fist. The Rhakshasa's face blossomed in agony anew, burning with a pain he'd only experienced at the hands of Mercury. He roared and screeched, thrashing about until he finally threw the boy as far from him as he could in favor of clutching his ruined face.

Blood dripped freely from where Marut's ear and a large portion of his cheek had been, leaving the demon reeling. The room was a pit of vertigo, dancing to and fro in a drunken waltz, but Marut was able to track his enemies. He watched blankly, not truly processing the information being fed to him through his good eye, as his former prisoner sailed gracefully through the air towards a demolished section of the observation deck. The feral human twisted his body mid-flight in order to land on three out of four appendages without so much as a wince. A white corona of light blazed to life around the boy, as he licked his wounds tenderly. To Marut's dread, many of them were healing before him.

The boy's stance was entirely bestial, lacking any of the higher brain functions that could be found in humanity. It was as if the boy's soul had been completely replaced by that of a cat! More disconcerting still was the shining, golden crescent on the manling's forehead. It and it alone told Marut that he was not dealing with someone possessed. Only a pure soul could wield the energies of the Moon.

The sign of Serenity's House was rare among the Lunaris; rarer still was the power that Serenity's line commanded. Marut felt dwarfed by the sudden explosion of power rolling off his opponent, and for the first time in centuries truly feared for his life. Physical wounds would regenerate over time, spiritual wounds took longer still, but magical wounds were more often than not, permanent. He had to finish his task before any of that power could be directed at him.

The Rhakshasa spun away from his feral opponent and paused at the sight of Sailor Mercury advancing on him. The air about her was so terribly cold that snow fell freely around her armored body, cloaking her in a curtain of white.

Power rolled off of her as well. Not as much as the boy, but it was more than what he expected from his prey. It was considerably more than he remembered her wielding in their last conflict too; a thousand fold more!

How could this be? He had delved deep into her mind. There was nothing to indicate that this well of magic had been sleeping in her! He cast about and found himself boxed in between the Lunarian whelp, Isis, and Senshi Jupiter. Faced with such power, Marut knew that there was no way that he would escape this intact. His monsterous grin hid his fear behind a mask of anticipation.

At the very least, this would be a battle the likes of which none would ever forget! He started to gather his power, intent on overwhelming Mercury in one final blow when a bolt of lightning struck him squarely in the back for the second time.

Pain and the stench of ozone assaulted him as he was driven back, away from both Mercury and the boy. He growled but refused to take his eyes from the object of his hatred. Lightning arced wildly about him again, but Marut was able to dodge the rest of the attack with little trouble. The odds were beginning to look more and more unfavorable for the demon, which meant that he would have to even the playing field a bit before focusing his attention on his true goal.

His arm shot out at Jupiter, sending inky black fire coursing her way. When they came, Marut roared in agony and defiance, as he was driven closer and closer to the edge of the tower's shattered windows. He was satisfied by her scream of agony even as he braced himself for the next few attacks.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Okay. This wasn't so bad. Really.

Most everyone that she could see was focused on the fight between Ranma and the bad guy. She should be able to explain away Makoto's transformation as some sort of hallucination.

Yeah.

Usagi winced as her panicked mind tried to wrap itself around such a complex problem. She watched the battle, wincing as poor Ranma found himself being slammed repeatedly into the floors and supports of the tower. She knew that she had to slip away and change, but there was no place for her to go! The deck was an open area save for the elevators, and everywhere she looked there was another set of eyes watching and waiting for her to do something. Or so it seemed.

Someone screamed and pointed, drawing Usagi's attention back to the battle. Ranma was being brutalized, but that wasn't where the future queen of the Moon and Earth found her gaze drifting. Her eyes settled on Ami and winced.

_Not you too!_

She watched Ami's face harden as the change took over. It was so cold and focused. People shied back from her, and from the way that it was starting to snow around her, Usagi could almost feel pity for the poor monster. The changes in her uniform were startling to say the least. Both Mercury and Jupiter had tapped into something new and primal during this battle, something that Usagi couldn't remember them ever doing in any of their past battles.

They looked beautiful and deadly. Which, judging from the attack that Jupiter was building, wasn't too far off the mark. Usagi wanted to cheer. She wanted to cry too, but she could understand their sacrifice. There were cameras flashing everywhere now, and recognition was starting to dawn on people's faces – most notably, amongst her classmates. She chanced a glance at Minako, who seemed just as torn as she was. Usagi followed her gaze to where a news reporter and her camera man had pulled themselves a little apart from the crowd and, from what Usagi could see, the woman was giving a blow by blow recount of the battle. There was a mad gleam in the reporter's eye at catching the first documented battle of the Sailor Senshi on film. It made Usagi sick to her stomach, just thinking about the fall out from this.

At the same time, she could feel the pull of the Guinzuisho calling her to transform and battle the evil before her. The pulse and sway of the power was chilling. She had thought long and hard about the consequences of an enemy finding out their identities. Her family and her friends would be placed in terrible danger. Could she jeopardize their lives to once again save the day?

Dang it all! This was just not fair! Her conscience was telling her to screw the secret identity and do what needed to be done. The logical side of her brain, the one that Ami had worked so hard to cultivate was telling her the exact opposite! Why couldn't there ever be any easy choices?

Her indecision lingered until she heard the monster roar in agony. Her eyes shot up in time to see Ranma gracefully twisting in the air. There was something odd about the way that he was moving to her eyes, but when he landed there was no doubt that something dreadfully wrong had happened while she was distracted.

He was crouched low to the ground and held himself like Luna had when she had sprained her paw. Radiance began to spill from his body, outlining him in a corona of white flames that physically pushed the shadows back. All sense of humanity fled his posture as he began to lick his wounds in a very cat-like way. But the most shocking thing that she noted was the burning, golden crescent that had again taken shape on his forehead. It seemed to pulse in time with her heart.

A thunderous rush of air blasted past her as Jupiter fired off her attack, drawing her eyes away from the young man. Something tickled her memory about the boy, but it remained just out of reach. The demon responded by sending a wave of black fire towards Jupiter, causing her to duck behind a pylon. The metal warped, bubbled, and finally melted beneath the magical flames. Luckily the monster was too busy to fire off another shot.

Both Mercury and Ranma launched themselves in tandem the moment the monster attacked Jupiter. The Senshi of Ice called out no attack phrase – she just slashed the air with her arm sending a number of icy javelins the creature's way. It was sickening the way that each frozen spear pierced the thing's body – but not as frightening as the cold rage that Ami-chan was barely holding in check. Usagi had never seen so much hate on the quiet girl's face.

Ranma followed immediately after Mercury's assault, and Usagi almost lost her lunch. There was no beauty in the way that the boy attacked. In a way he was a lot scarier than Ami was. Especially when a casual flick of his wrist nearly severed one of the monster's legs just below the knee.

Black blood was everywhere and Usagi clung to Minako for comfort. The fetid, coppery smell of ozone clung to the air as Makoto charged up again. The creature was almost to the edge of the shattered windows. Usagi could see that their plan was to drive the beast off the edge and let the fall finish the job that they had started. All three of the defenders were closing in for the kill.

Every motion captured Usagi's attention. The air about Mercury was growing colder, coalescing into an icy buckler and a wickedly curved sword that sparkled in the light of Ranma-kun's white aura.

Jupiter had somehow called forth a barbed spear and was setting herself to fire another attack when the monster roared again and unleashed a torrent of black fire in a controlled arc that knocked all three opponents back. Mercury was unable to retain her balance and fell to one knee, barely presenting a solid defense to her foe, and was immediately set upon by the crippled monstrosity. A fist shattered her shield and knocked her flat on her back. The second hit took her in the stomach with enough force to compress the floor around the Senshi's body. Usagi could feel the thing's blow all the way from where she stood and winced.

She looked to Minako worriedly hoping for some miraculous insight, but frowned at the expression of deep determination on her friend's face. She gripped Minako's arm tightly and shook her head, silently warning the other girl not to join the battle. Maybe the others were already on their way. If so, the addition of so many new faces would give them time to slip away and change.

Jupiter flew past them during Usagi's planning, thrown bodily into the wall above the elevator with a loud crash. To Usagi's surprise many of the bystanders went to her aid. They cheered as one when the Senshi of Jupiter stumbled to her feet, leaning heavily on her newly acquired polearm. Usagi could see that her ponytail had been burnt down to a small stub and winced.

If Makoto hadn't been gunning for the monster before….

The train of though was cut off as Usagi's eyes locked with Jupiter's. The future queen of the Earth recoiled from the glare her loyal friend sent her way from the center of the crowd. The look of betrayal that was in Makoto's eyes hurt more than any punch or energy blast Usagi had ever taken. She glanced at Minako and found a similar expression growing on the blonde's face as well.

Why couldn't they understand that there was so much more at stake here? It wasn't like she was enjoying standing on the sidelines! Not with Ranma getting himself so hurt, but there were innocent lives at stake here!

But wasn't Ranma an innocent too?

Minako, having come to a decision, stepped forward and drew forth her own henshin pen. Usagi scrambled to stop her, and got a hand over the other girl's mouth before she could call out to Venus.

Uncertainty warred with the need to help. What could she do? Ranma seemed to take that choice from her hands as he attacked the monster from above. Usagi searched out the Senshi of Ice, and found her battered and bruised body being supported by a group of girls. Half of her shield had survived the monster's assault, although her sword was slick with black blood. There was a giant bruise on her right cheek that was already turning black and purple and she was clutching her ribs tenderly.

Ranma howled – sounding much like Luna did when she was really and truly pissed off that it made Usagi's skin crawl. Everyone's gaze turned to him and a good number of people were violently ill at the sight of his furious attacks. Deep claw marks opened up on the monster's body, and more than a few could be seen gouging long furrows into the support structure, ceiling, and tiled floor of the Observation Deck around the combatants. It was a miracle that the demon hadn't fallen yet. Usagi couldn't understand how the monster could survive such fatal blows.

It was a terrible sight that would haunt Usagi for a very long time to come.

She watched in awe as Ranma once again single handedly drove the monster to the edge of the tower in an unrelenting tide of blows. The speed and accuracy of his attacks were literally shredding the thing. She couldn't hold it in any longer and followed the rest of the crowd, purging herself of her lunch and breakfast. The sounds of tearing flesh and animalistic rage continued to assault her as the pair traded even more blows.

Usagi couldn't bear it anymore. How could they continue to fight? How could the monster still be alive after losing so much blood? It was a wonder that Ranma could fight at all, the way that his arm dangled. She tried to shut out the sounds that assaulted her, but couldn't.

"We need to help them!" Minako shouted over the din of battle.

Usagi just stared at the tableau before her uncertainly. Minako growled and pulled Usagi around to face her.

"Don't ignore me, Usagi! Look at him! He's fighting our battle! We should be the ones in there, not him!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Usagi hissed. "How are we supposed to change in front of all these people and keep our secret identities intact? What happens to our families when the media gets a hold of this footage? You were there when everyone pounded that lesson into my head. If it was important then, it should be important now!"

Minako frowned and looked away. Sparing one agonizing glance down at the pitched battle raging before her, she held forth her henshin rod again and looked at the people around her nervously. An explosion rocked the tower again, causing people to scream. Fear and hopelessness reigned throughout the Observation Deck. Minako looked to Sailor Jupiter as she looked for an opening to re-enter the battle and smiled. She couldn't stand to let Makoto shoulder this burden alone.

"Maybe its time to stop fighting from the shadows, Usagi. Maybe its time to shine with hope for all to see."

"But what about our families!" Usagi protested quietly. "What about our lives? How are going to keep them safe?" Minako frowned and looked at destruction being wrought as Jupiter was driven back by the combined fury of Ranma and Mercury as they double-teamed the monster. She looked out over the city and, with a deep sense of dread, saw a group of winged forms rapidly approaching the tower.

"Our lives are tied to those we love, Usagi. We can't protect them from our world forever." She pointed to the newest arrivals, and smiled sadly. "Someday, it will find them whether we like it or not, just as it always finds us."

Minako raised the rod high above her head as Jupiter joined them.

"Better that we fight these battles on our terms, than always being subject to our enemies."

Usagi bit her lip and looked away. Jupiter rested her hand on Usagi's shoulder and turned to Minako and silently thanked her. The blonde girl hesitated no longer. She dug deep into her soul and called the power of Venus to her.

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"

The crowd parted for Jupiter and Venus as they hurried back into the fray, failing to see the video camera that a man had pointed in their direction. Usagi saw it though and paled. She seriously doubted that the microphone could have recorded their conversation, but she knew that people could read lips. She'd read a manga about a spy once that could do it.

This sucked. If her secret wasn't ruined now, it would be by the end of the day.

"What should I do?"

"What you have always done, my Princess. Follow your heart."

"Pluto!"

"Don't sound so surprised."

"Are the others coming?" Usagi couldn't help but hope that the others could put this menace down without her, but from the look on Pluto's face, that hope was dashed.

"Uranus and Neptune will undoubtedly arrive soon with Saturn, but Mars probably won't arrive in time to be of much help."

Usagi looked at the crowd, seeing more than one person wounded, and sighed. The weight of their suffering was damning. She was supposed to be the one protecting them. Not Ranma and not her Senshi. She was the Princess, and therefore it was her example that they should be following; not the other way around.

"Can we protect our families?"

"The whole earth is our family, Usagi." She said with a sad smile. Tears were starting to form at the corners of her eyes.

"That's not what I mean Pluto, and you know it." Usagi said crossly. "Can we protect our families?"

"There are contingencies available, should it become necessary."

"Can you make them forget?" Usagi asked hopefully. That hope died a withering death under Pluto's disapproving gaze.

"Contrary to popular opinion, I am not that cold hearted." The green haired woman frowned and looked to the crowd, singling out the cameraman and the reporter pointedly. "We protect the agency of men, Princess. We safeguard their freedoms and nurture their hopes. We don't play God."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Usagi pointed to the man with the camera. "By five o'clock, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury's identities will be public! And I'm certain that mine won't be far behind now! We don't have a lot of time to work with here!" Pluto remained unruffled.

"We have options, Princess."

A bit of the steel that had been shining through lately made itself known as Usagi back stiffened noticeably.

"For once in you life, give me a straight answer, Pltuo." Usagi crossed her arms angrily and waited.

"Safe houses."

"How safe?"

"About as safe as you can get."

"Where are they?"

"Do you want that information to be on the five o'clock news as well?" She pointed to the reporter and her cameraman who were no longer trying to be discrete about the camera pointed in their direction.

Usagi sighed and shook her head.

"Will they be happy?"

Pluto shrugged.

"Who can say? Personal happiness is not my realm of expertise." Yet another explosion rocked the Tower. "What I can say is that I am needed. Will you be joining me?"

Usagi, like Ami, looked into the eyes of her remaining classmates and friends. The fear and helplessness that she saw there seemed to mimic the struggles in her heart.

Her eyes slowly drifted to the cameraman and ultimately his camera. She sighed in resignation, looking back on her friends and classmates one last time with longing. The distance between them might as well have been an unbridgeable chasm. There was no doubt that they knew she was a part of this now, but they couldn't say what role she played. It would be so easy to just transform and be done with it, but something held her back. She nodded at Pluto and cast one last tearful smile in the direction of Naru and Umino.

She felt Pluto place a hand on her shoulder and looked up in time to see her friend's smiling face. It was comforting, but more comforting still were the presence of the others that were even now arriving in a shower of multicolored lights.

"Are you all right?" Mars' voice was filled with concern as she ran over to the pair. Usagi shook her head and looked back to Jupiter who simply stared back at her. Usagi felt as if she had been slapped. She had all but turned her back on the battle raging before her; more than that, she had all but turned her back on her friends.

Usagi looked to where the monster was starting to retaliate against Ranma again and came to a decision. She didn't like it, and the thought of what she was about to do made her stomach tie itself in knots. Her Senshi were right though. Ranma was fighting her fight and bleeding the blood that she should be spilling. Usagi stood angrily and brushed out of Mars' grip.

"Get the rest of the civilians to safety." She commanded. She spared one last look back to the battle and pulled her broach free. The Guinzuisho pulsed visibly, drawing every eye to her. Time seemed to slow as the eyes of everyone on the Observation Deck turned to face her. A single tear fell down her cheek as she looked into the camera. "Sorry, Mom. Sorry, Dad."

And then the world was bathed in a white, healing light.

Everyone stared at the sight of Sailor Moon replacing Usagi Tsukino. Umino passed out completely. Naru had covered her mouth with her hands, and a number of Usagi's other friends had slack jaws and buggy eyes. Kogara-sensei who had recovered somewhat from her earlier shock, followed Umino's reaction and fainted again. And then, someone screamed.

Sailor Moon snapped her attention back to the enemy in time to see him once again slam poor Ranma into the floor. Skin hung freely from its frame in a macabre display of violence and one of its arms was missing completely. Rivers of black blood coursed from thousands of deep wounds to pool beneath the demon's body.

Ranma, while not as bad off as the Rhakshasa, was snarling and flailing his one good arm, and the ceiling above him began to shred by some unseen power. Sailor Moon held herself at the ready for the next attack that she was certain would come, but to her surprise it never did.

The monster took one look at the assembled Senshi and growled. He then looked at the struggling boy that he had pinned beneath him and smiled at Mercury. Usagi gasped and shook her head as the beast gripped Ranma firmly by the throat with its remaining hand.

"His death for your eternal suffering, Mercury." The thing's voice was a gurgling mess that carried wetly on the wind. "A fair trade in the end."

Mercury screamed and a lance of ice rocketed through the intervening space, tearing through the monster's mid-section like it was paper. Its laughter was wet and insane as he teetered on the edge of the abyss.

Usagi watched dumbly as the creature allowed himself to fall backwards, out of the shattered windows and into the open air beyond. Mercury launched herself from her position next to Saturn without a second thought. The Outers did their best to catch her, but her fear gave her amazing speed. Three rapid bounding steps and she too flew from the Observation Deck. Sailor Moon felt her legs give out and her heart clenched as Jupiter and Venus scrambled to the edge of the window. Despair filled her heart as Pluto wrapped her in a warm hug.

"Too long," she whispered. "I waited too long."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

_**End Chapter 8**_


	10. Chapter 9

Progeny 

By Jeffrey Vasquez

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Disclaimer**:

All characters and settings are used here without permission.

"Ranma 1/2" was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and is licensed to Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, Fuji TV, and Viz Communications Inc.

"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" (or "Sailor Moon") was created by Takeuchi Naoko, and is licensed to Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga, and DIC Entertainment, L.P.

All original characters belong to me. Please drop me a line if you want to use them.

**Forward: **

I apologize once again for the wait and thank all of my faithful readers for their patience and long suffering. This year has been a long-drawn-out series of tragedies for my family, with a number of deaths and life changing illnesses hitting us. In all of this, I have tried to find solace in my writing, but it has been hard. It is my hope that this chapter, and the other stories I've been writing will be well received. As it stands, I would like to dedicate the rest of this year's writing to my Uncle Bobby and my Father-in-Law Norman, men who were the very definition of "A man amongst men." Their lives were rich and their influence on me singular.

I miss them greatly.

God bless you, dear friends. May the next adventure hold as much wonder for you as this one did. Save a spot for those us who are still stuck wandering aimlessly in this mortal labyrinth.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Progeny Chapter 9 

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**The Palace of Seven Clouded Heavens**

China

Ahbrim Ur entered the new scientific wing of his palace, looking over the progress of his minions as they pressed forward in their various assignments. The summons to his new "Media Room" had been urgent, but Ur wanted to remind the newest arrivals that he was always watching them. It was obvious that these new batches of scholars were still recovering from their experiences with the Rhakshasa, but the original group was helping them to acclimate by pushing them into the tasks that Ur had pressed on them. Most were cataloguing the recovery of Atlantean and Muish artifacts.

The initial recovery efforts had been very fruitful, and had gone a long way to aid in the powering and production of Ur's projects. The only draw back to Ur's schedule was the time consuming steep learning curve involved in educating his new servants. His preliminary timetable was ahead of schedule, but there was no telling how long that would last. Still, with the awakening of Esos he was certain that it would be a while before he ran into too much trouble.

Above all the other progressive gains Ur had achieved, Esos was by far his greatest achievement. Her awakening had made it possible to build a bridge between the past and present, and Ur made it a priority to find the other lost children of Atlantis as soon as possible. He'd been blessed, in that two more of the scholars had shown signs that they had Atlantean blood running through their veins. While not as prominent as Esos, the blood was there, and Ur had wasted no time in affecting their awakening. It would take time for them to recover enough to move forward, but Ur was confident that they would be contributing their talents soon enough. And if Esos were any indication of how valuable that contribution would be…well, Ur already had a plan in the works to find more of his Atlantean children.

Esos was nothing short of a prodigy with the Atlantean and Muish technologies; intuitively picking up the basics of the artifacts the moment Ur set them before her. He had high hopes for the rest of her training. She was certain to make a formidable Archanist when he was done with her. She was already a dedicated student, consuming and absorbing everything that Ur introduced to her like a sponge. He was certainly surprised at what she had already accomplished in the last few hours since awakening from her experience with her lord. She had already become a forceful leader among her colleagues, fully embracing her heritage in order to achieve Ur's desires. She capitalized on their fears and using those weaknesses to push them to work tirelessly.

He was very impressed indeed. After breaking them into groups she began tutoring them in the basics of the ancient equipment and expounding their foundation insomuch that they were already making progress in combining the ancient technologies with the rather unwieldy science of the present day. It was too soon to see any real strides, but Ur had prioritized their efforts and Esos was ensuring that everyone remained on track.

Her first breakthrough had been to introduce Ur to the vulgarity of television, in response to his desires for a faster way to learn about the contemporary world. It had taken a few simple raids and a little time before the scientists were able to set up their own battery of satellite dishes. They had finished but an hour ago and Ur's first glimpse at the wonder that was television had been a rather confounding program called "Bay Watch." While it had been visually pleasing, its educational value was sorely lacking – outside of the fleshy bits he didn't understand the appeal and as such dismissed it as pointless drivel. His second attempt produced a rather violent reaction in both the Lord of the Hunt and the Rhakshasa attending him – costing the Media Room an entire wall of television screens and ultimately driving one Rhakshasa so mad that Ur was forced to put an end to the poor beast before it rampaged. If there were no other evidence that just how far the societies of Earth had fallen, Teletubies alone would have condemned the world in Ur's eyes.

All in all, television did not impress Ur in the least. It was a decadent, oft-times senseless time waster, but there were moments when he would uncover gold amidst all the dross; moments like now. He turned to the shadowy alcove of his new "Media Room" and called out to the entity he knew to be waiting within.

"Kali, attend."

The shadows rippled like water, allowing the black skinned, panther headed Rhakshasa to pass into the room. She knelt, silently waiting for Ur's command. He could feel the disgust and hatred roiling from her body, but paid it no mind. Most of the Rhakshasa felt this way towards him. So long as they served his needs, he would tolerate their insubordination. When he had obtained the appropriate power though, he would repay their contempt an hundred fold.

"You will report to Indra and deliver the image of this young man." He pointed to one of the large television screens where the young man in question was battling Marut.

Kali looked up and her eyes widened in shock. Ur followed her gaze and found his own eyes widening in surprise. The young man whose value, up until that moment, had been nothing more than a passing interest for the Lord of the Hunt, suddenly became a priceless treasure. The mark of Serenity graced the child's brow. Coupled with the fact that Ur could have been the boy's twin had they shared the same age, there was little doubt as to the identity of this young man.

"My son."

He quickly spun on Kali and seized the Rhakshasa by the throat. Power, unlike anything Kali had obviously felt or experienced before, was laid bare to her. Terror was the predominant emotion wafting off the panther-headed Rhakshasa, as it was now plainly obvious to the demoness why Ur had been named the Lord of the Hunt.

"Go. Find him and guard him against all who would harm him. Indra is to continue his study of the Senshi, but he is not to take action against them without my express orders. Any who lift a hand against the boy or the Senshi will look on Yama's fate with longing."

When Ur released her, Kali wasted no time in melting into the shadows and disappearing from Ur's presence. Alone and awash in confusing emotions, the Lord of the Hunt looked on as the young man battled Marut. Pride filled him as blow after vicious blow pounded Marut. The Senshi were largely ignored as Ur basked in the strange, all but forgotten emotion of happiness. Tears filled his eyes at the sight of his progeny given flesh and his voice was little more than a whisper as he reached out to touch the television screen.

"She gave me a son…an heir."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Saotome Dojo 

Juuban

"…we go live to Tamafune Dazai, reporting for Channel 20 News at the heart of the disturbance live from Tokyo Tower. Are you there Dazai-san?"

"…_Can you hear me, Asuhara-san?" _

Nodoka set aside her sewing at the urgency in the reporter's voice and turned up the volume. The young woman holding the microphone looked terrified but determined as she tried to remain focused on the task of bringing her viewers up to date. The sounds of destruction and screaming voices, backed by an occasional bought of static, threatened to drown out the young woman's report.

"We hear you, Dazai-san." Nodoka watched the middle-aged anchorman, and wondered how he could remain so composed in light of the terrified screams of children come through the feed. "Are you okay? What can you tell us about the situation?"

"We're fine at the moment. The elevators are still working and members of the staff are directing an orderly evacuation through the emergency exits as we speak. It's slow going but the children are making it to safety."

"What inspired the evacuation?" The anchorman's female counter part, a young attractive woman, exuded a calm demeanor that Nodoka did not share.

"A little less than five minutes ago, a strange…creature appeared within the main observation deck of Tokyo Tower and began attacking the students here."

Nodoka gasped as the cameraman panned to the right, giving the viewers their first glimpse of the creature in question. It was a grotesque sight that made Nodoka's stomach clench in revulsion. The sight of her son viciously tearing into the demon made her blood run cold.

"_At first it seemed to be a publicity stunt, but that idea was immediately denounced as the creature began its attack. The young man you see fighting the creature was thought to be it's first victim."_

The camera followed the vicious battle unfolding as best it could, but the speeds at which the pair were moving was difficult to track. Nodoka was able to see that one of the blood stained windows of the tower had been shattered.

"Thought to be?" the anchorwoman asked.

"_Unbelievably, against all odds, this young warrior survived being knocked through one of the northern windows and was able miraculously return in time to save his classmate."_

The camera drifted away from the battle briefly to show a glimpse of a very concerned Ami Mizuno. There was a roar of pain and the images on the screen shook. The camera quickly adjusted itself to show the monster imbedded in one of the Tower's main supports. The picture moved back to center on Ranma, standing in a loose ready position looking focused and deadly, surrounded by an angry red corona of ghostly light. Ami-chan drew close to his side, looking just as determined and curiously, unafraid.

Nodoka had never felt more proud, or more terrified in all her life.

Ranma said something to Ami, and she shook her head defiantly. Ranma was obviously upset by her refusal, and the pair exchanged some quickly heated words that were unidentifiable as the creature recovered. Ranma's aura slipped from red to green rapidly, and without warning he shoved Ami-chan into the waiting arms of the crowd. She heard Ami-chan desperately calling her son's name above the clamor of the crowd.

Maybe Yuriko was right. Maybe there was something there after all.

Guilt set in immediately at the stray thought. Her son was facing off against a demon, and all she could think of was his love life? She was getting as bad as her husband. Nodoka snorted in disgust and shook her head at that image. She watched as the creature began to circle wide, attempting to get to the crowd, only to have Ranma boldly step between the monster and it's prey. The camera caught a glimpse of something behind the demon, and immediately zoomed in to focus on it. A young woman in strange armor stood in front of a pair of blonde girls, one of which was very familiar to Nodoka.

Usagi-chan had made a definite impression on Nodoka the night of that rather disastrous dinner.

"Dazai-san, what are we looking at now?" The anchorman had to speak loudly over the sounds of heated battle that had just erupted from Ranma and the demon resuming their conflict.

"_It appears to be a…_I can't believe I'm saying this_…a magical girl. She looks to be…"_

There was a pause in the reporter's dialogue and then the camera swiveled rapidly to focus on Ami-chan again. The air about the girl seemed to be growing colder and there, glowing on her forehead was the astrological symbol of Mercury. The sound of ice cracking resounded throughout the observation deck, and Ami-chan's uniform shattered in a bright explosion of light and frigid wisps of cloudy vapor. Nodoka's breath caught in her throat at the sight of her best friend's daughter. Clad in an icy chain mail bodice and a heavily plated skirt of metal, with a frozen crown adorning her head, the over all feel of the outfit was decidedly Egyptian; and for some reason seemed very right on Ami-chan's head.

Nodoka wondered how the poor girl's mother was going to react upon seeing this. The telephone chose that moment to ring and Nodoka scrambled to get it as the battle was renewed. With one eye on the television and one on the telephone, she absently picked up the receiver.

"Hello." Her voice was surprisingly calm in spite of watching Ranma relocate his shoulder after taking a rather vicious punch to the torso. She wondered how he'd learned to do that…and just how many times he'd had to do it to make the action look so casual. The battle moved on, and she idly noted that Yuriko was screaming into her ear about "Sailor Senshi" something or another. Nodoka simply nodded her head and grunted, watching her son use some extremely forbidden looking techniques on the creature, only to watch as they began to heal almost immediately. Her only consolation was the fact that the creature looked far more damaged than her son did.

The battle moved on and Yuriko continued to rant in the background about Ranma saving her baby so that she could ground her for life. The statement seemed so incongruous to the life and death struggle playing out on the screen before her. She thought to tell her friend to "shut up" but grimaced instead as the beast slammed its fist into her baby's arm. The crack was audible even above the continued screaming. Tears streamed down her cheeks at the pain her manly son refused to give voice to. It was a testament to his skill and will that he fought on, sweeping the beast's legs and then retreating.

The look on Ranma's face was desperate and Nodoka could tell that her son was planning on pulling off some highly dangerous technique, just by the set of his jaw and the way that he was securing his arm. Tears began falling from her eyes unhindered. The look in his eyes was resigned and she could tell that he didn't expect to live through this.

"Damn you, Genma!" She hissed. "Damn you for stealing my son away from me! And damn you too, Nodoka…" Her voice was filled with self-loathing and contempt. "…for that stupid contract and letting the bastard get away with so much for so long!"

The rubble began to shift and Nodoka's throat clenched tightly. Fear settled into her stomach like a lead weight, causing her legs to give out beneath her. The demon rose from the debris and for a moment Nodoka's heart leapt with hope. It had fallen on a shattered display case and glass had been driven through its chest and throat. It labored to its feet shakily, and then the screen switched to the anchorman.

"NO! Bring him back! Bring back my baby!" She pounded on the top of the television, desperately sobbing. Ignoring the excuses spouted by the newscaster as he went on about the graphic nature of the battle being unfit for the general public. She growled at the man on the screen and vowed to introduce him to her bokken at the first possible opportunity.

Yuriko was in the background swearing at her own television screen and offering Nodoka a word or two of support when it seemed appropriate. It was then that the two distraught mothers realized something; the picture may have been gone, but the audio was not. No matter how hard they wished otherwise.

Laughter, the likes of which dredged up ill will and nightmares echoed through the room. The simple sound of it made Nodoka want to vomit. There was a loud squelching sound and the sound of shattering glass. Nodoka could easily see the monster tearing the glass shards from its body and tossing them aside.

"_Well done, little man."_ The thing's voice was worse than its laughter. _"But sadly, our playtime must come to an end."_

"_Why does every bad guy under the sun, have to be a cheesy bastard?"_ Ranma growled in return. There was a great cheer on Yuriko's end of the telephone that made Nodoka smile. Her motherly pride was almost undone by the beast's renewed laughter.

"_Soon your bravado will give way to terror, Son of Adam."_ Nodoka swallowed hard, trying desperately to ignore the growing lump in her stomach. _"Let us see what fears lurk in your heart, shall we?"_

She heard her son's terrified screams and she doubled over into a tight ball, clutching herself in desperation and denial. All she wanted to do was die…to somehow take her son's place and suffer the torment he was facing for him. She wondered what tortures the demon was inflicting on her child. What horrors was he facing? Was it physical? Was the beast maiming her son? The lack of images was driving her mind to the brink.

She didn't know when or how the honor blade made its way into her hand, bared and ready for bloodletting, nor did she hear Yuriko's frantic voice calling out to her through the receiver. She did however hear the demon's roar of pain and the scrambled questions of the anchorwoman trying to find out what was going on. The reporter at the scene tried to give a play-by-play account of the action, but it was obvious that events were out pacing her. Then Nodoka heard a very feline hiss and she was filled with a sick sense of dread.

She'd never seen the true fury of the Neko-ken unleashed, but she had heard enough to recognize the technique for what it was. The reporter's frantic description only served to solidify the thought.

"_The young man's stance is entirely bestial, lacking any sign of humanity whatsoever. It looks as if he's buried himself into a zen state of oneness with an animalistic style of martial arts. He's even growling like a wild alley cat! Listen!"_

The reporter went silent and sure enough, Ranma was growling and hissing like a cat.

"_Wait! Something's appearing on his forehead! It's a glowing symbol of some kind…a golden crescent!"_

She had never heard about the golden crescent appearing in any of the stories about the Neko-ken, which was intriguing in and of itself. A part of her wanted to run to her child's side, while another part feared to leave the television. It was as if she was already by his side, and if she left she was afraid she would lose him. So she sat and listened intently, biding her time. She knelt again, with mixed feelings on the events playing out on the television.

In one sense she felt more relieved than she had been a moment before – the Neko-ken was supposed to be an invincible technique…so long as no one had a ball of string or a can of tuna to distract Ranma with. On the other hand, she was feeling years of pent up guilt weighing down on her. Yuriko had been right in her chastisements, what kind of parent allowed her child to be placed in such terrible circumstances? What kind of person denied a child the love of a mother? Nodoka's torment was interrupted by the voice of the reporter.

"The power coming off the boy is incredible! He's glowing with a white light that is literally driving back the shadows! I've never felt anything like it! It's…it's like a physical manifestation of hope! The magical girls are closing in as well. Sweet mother of mercy! I've never in my life felt or witnessed anything like this! The Egyptian girl is literally freezing the air around her, while the other girl has lightning…real lightning arcing off her body! The monster seems nervous and is retreating a bit. Oh! No! It's smiling! Something black is forming in its hands!"

The booming sound of thunder rolled out of the speakers. Nodoka dropped the phone in her lap and clutched the cloth of her kimono over her heart. Was that it? Was that the end?

The Japanese were well acquainted with Kamikaze. Death in the face of impossible odds, especially if you took your enemy with you, was a highly honored tactic. To have it tainted by a demon was reprehensible.

"_Dazai-san! Dazai-san are you still there?"_

Nodoka's hand clenched the hilt of her sword, hoping that the reporter had survived. She needed to know for certain whether or not her son was still alive. There was another boom and then a crackling of flames. A demonic roar of defiance echoed throughout her living room. Hope flooded Nodoka's heart. Even so, it still struggled with the fear that, though one of the magical girls had survived, there was no guarantee that her son had.

"_We're still here. The evacuation is almost complete and the monster is under heavy assault by our defenders. The Egyptian girl has launched some icy missiles at the creature and the young man is following her attack closely. Oh…oh god, I think I'm going to puke."_

Nodoka smiled in relief. He was alive!

"_Dazai-san, what can you tell us?"_

"_The young man just about severed the thing's leg. There's so much blood everywhere. It's black like oil and where ever it falls it's eating through the flooring! I don't understand how the young man can stand being covered in it!"_

Nodoka numbly picked up the phone again and, unable to feel much of anything beyond a general sense of fear, she began dialing Yuriko's cell phone. She knew she was going into shock and she felt a distant need to be close to someone…to feel the comfort of somebody's lies as they told her that everything was going to be all right.

"…_what seem to be magical weapons, have appeared in the hands of the girls. They're setting themselves to attack again…"_ The reporter's words were getting more and more distant as Nodoka listened to the phone trying to connect her to Yuriko.

"_FWOOOSH!"_

"_Dazai-san!"_ The news anchors seemed to be losing their cool. Nodoka could totally empathize. The drama on the television melted into background noise as the phone line made its connection. Ranma's mother was relieved to note that she could hear heavy breathing on the other end rather than an answering service.

"… huff …Mizuno."

"Yuriko-chan?"

"I'm on my way to Tokyo Tower, Nodoka. Where are you?" Nodoka grimaced at the sound of cursing in the background, and tried not to listen to the sounds of battle coming from the TV.

"I'm at home…I don't want to leave him. If something happened and I wasn't here…I don't think I could live with myself."

"Do you have a working Walkman or a radio of some kind?"

"Well, yes." Nodoka's mind was so distracted that she couldn't connect the dots.

"The battle's being broadcast on every major radio and television station, Nodoka. Get off your butt and meet me at the Tower!"

Nodoka nodded into the phone absently as she moved into the kitchen to get her Walkman. She checked the batteries and then grabbed her purse.

"Did you see Ami-chan?" It was a lame question. Of course she had seen Ami-chan! A blistering string of epitaphs spun through the receiver causing Nodoka to pull the phone a distance from her ear. By the time Yuriko's colorful tirade had eased, Nodoka was ready to walk out the door. It was a thirty-minute walk to the Tower from her house. Perhaps she should call a taxi?

"…naked on national television! I wanted her to #$!# lighten up, but this! This is just plain ridiculous! Not to mention the fact that she's been playing super hero behind my back! I swear to God, if she doesn't get herself killed by that thing, I'm going to skin her alive!" Nodoka wasn't exactly sure what her dear friend was ranting about, but it seemed best to divert her attention to something else.

"Where do you want to meet?"

"I'm coming in from the south and you're coming in from the west, try to meet up with me somewhere in the middle. I'm going to try and get as close to the Tower as I possibly can."

"Zojoji Temple. East entrance?"

"The bowling center is closer, meet there as soon as you can. I should be there in about ten minutes."

"Okay then." Nodoka said.

The line went dead with Yuriko's mumbled promises of dire punishments echoing in Nodoka's ear, but Ranma's distraught mother was too captivated by the events playing out on the television to notice. The picture had returned showing one of the magical girls hovering near a rather odd pair of blonde girls, one of whom was very familiar to Nodoka. Why Usagi would be arguing with her friend rather than running to safety made little sense and subsequently bothered Nodoka greatly.

"Ayate! What are you doing? Get the camera back on the action."

"Sorry boss, but my gut's telling me that this is just too good to pass up." Dazai-san seemed fairly irritated at the sudden mutiny of her cameraman, but she didn't press the issue. It was fairly evident that the viewers needed a break.

And what a break it was.

"'VENUS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!'"

The camera followed the new magical girl into battle for a moment, and then panned back to poor, pale Usagi. She looked so devastated, and uncertain. Nodoka's heart went out to the girl. When the new magical girl appeared…. Well, you couldn't exactly call the leggy, tanned-skinned figure a girl; "woman" was the only appropriate term to use for the new comer. Regardless, it was obvious to Nodoka that this beautiful, green haired woman was pointedly familiar with Usagi, which only made things worse for the young blonde. If the children survived this, there was no doubt that the media were going to hound them to death.

Nodoka sat on the edge of her couch, unable to leave just yet, and uncertain as to the reasoning behind her curiosity. Perhaps it was because she knew this girl. Maybe she was dreading going to the tower for fear of what she would find. Whichever the case, Nodoka cursed her weakness and remained glued to the events unfolding on the television screen.

The pale, lost expression slowly disappeared from Usagi's face the longer the tanned woman talked to her – if anything, the blonde girl was starting to look more and more regal with each passing moment. The pair seemed unruffled by the occasional explosions that rocked the observation deck and sent debris flying their way. The conversation continued until the green haired woman pointed to the camera. Usagi glanced in the direction of the camera, and then everything shook as another explosion jostled the tower. By the time the cameraman had finally steadied himself, he was in time to catch Usagi sighing deeply. She looked to someone off screen and smiled regretfully.

In spite of her son's predicament, Nodoka found her heart reaching out to the young woman. The look in her eyes was one of resignation and self-sacrifice, far too mature for one her age. A shower of multi-colored lights danced in front of the camera, resolving themselves into more shapely, feminine bodies that immediately formed a defensive ring around Usagi. Each was dressed in a similar, if not completely inappropriate, uniform – although it did a great job of showing off their legs. Had she been the mother of one of these girls, she would definitely have some words for them.

Usagi began giving the others orders, directing them without hesitation or fear. She pulled something from off her chest and the tower fell silent as her hand began to glow. She looked directly at the camera with tears in her eyes.

"Sorry, Mom. Sorry, Dad."

The light coming from her was blinding, but not in a bad way. If anything, Nodoka felt comforted by it. When it receded, Usagi was no more. In her place was a beautiful warrior, ready to fight. Nodoka couldn't help but cheer at the turn of events. With so many to fight, she knew that her Ranma would come out of this alive.

That thought was all but destroyed when she caught sight of her baby in the clutches of the demon. To his credit, Ranma fought on, refusing to give in even though he was pinned to the floor by the creature. It smiled at the Egyptian girl as it shifted its grip to Ranma's throat. A cold chill over came Nodoka as she watched.

"_His death for your eternal suffering, Mercury. A fair trade in the end."_ The thing's voice was a wet, gurgling mess that still clear in spite of all the residual background noise. The magical girl called Mercury screamed and sent a lance of ice tearing through the monster's mid-section in a shower of gore and black blood. Its mad laughter was wet and made Nodoka's throat fill with bile as he teetered on the edge of the abyss.

And then it tilted itself backwards, upsetting its precarious balance. Nodoka screamed and clutched the television, desperately reaching out to her scrambling son as he fell from the tower with the monster. She idly noted through her tears that Mercury had jumped after him. How long she knelt there, leaning against the television for support, she didn't know.

"No. Not my baby." Her body felt weak and empty, as if someone had reached inside of her and ripped out the only thing supporting her flesh. "Give me back my baby."

A part of her heart cried out fiercely for vengeance, but the rest of her was awash in a tsunami of disbelief and denial. Genma had taken her baby for ten long years and then, after finally being reunited with him, the Tendos had stolen his heart from her. Now that he had finally returned to her life, of his own free will, the demon had taken her baby! She screamed to the Heavens for their black sense of justice. Had she not atoned for her mistakes? Hadn't she suffered enough?

Apparently not.

She screamed and freed her blade from its scabbard. One swift, perfectly executed stroke cleaved the television in half, showering her in sparks and debris. She didn't care.

How could any physical discomfort compare to the pain she was feeling in her soul?

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Hachi's Pub Nerima 

There were few patrons in the pub this early in the day, but Soun and Genma rarely went to Hachi's for the company. The pub was affordable (translation: cheap) and had a certain amount of nostalgia associated to its hallowed halls. It was in this very establishment where the idea for joining the two branches of the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu had been born.

The pub had a long history where Soun and Genma were concerned, and it was where they felt most comfortable thinking things through; that is if you could really consider what the Dynamic Duo did "thinking." Old Man Hachi had become very wealthy off of Soun Tendo's money over the years, and he didn't really mind having a panda for a customer. In fact, if asked he would admit that it really helped business a great deal –most people would drink and drink, until the panda went away. Thus the Tendo and Saotome patriarchs were treated as preferred customers – in so much as they had cash on hand. Hachi had learned early on that extending credit to Genma Saotome was about as profitable as dumping his liquor down the toilet.

Ever since Akane's death, the pair had been coming to Hachi's more frequently looking for hope in a bottle. Plan after plan had been hashed out, conceived and discarded, and in the end tabled until their next "strategy session" – yet, in the in they were no closer to joining the schools than they had been prior to that last fateful trip to China.

Their attempts at uncovering Ranma's whereabouts from Kasumi had been a bust, and Nabiki had threatened to fry Genma's "…fat panda butt…" until it matched his head, if he didn't back off. The thought of losing any fur at all left Genma wary of crossing the young woman, especially considering the new skills the girl had acquired. It wasn't that the Saotome patriarch was afraid of the girl…not in the least. Prudence was the better part of valor, and considering how short Nabiki's temper was…well, why tempt Fate?

So it was that both fathers were once again drowning their sorrows and looking for a way to wheedle the information out of Soun's daughters. They had been there a paltry four hours knocking around ideas while they knocked back a few cold ones when something miraculous caught Soun Tendo's eye. For good or ill, it seemed that Fate had decided to smile down on them as Hachi's small television broadcast the breaking news. Soun pointed to the images of Ranma fighting a demon at Tokyo Tower, and the pair evacuated their seats post haste. For Genma, it was akin to hearing that there was an all you can eat and drink buffet at a sushi bar. For Soun, it was a life preserver amidst a sea of darkness.

They made it as far as the door, before finding their righteous paths blocked by the impressive Gatekeeper Toshi, Hachi's no neck grandson who acted as the pub's bouncer. It took Soun a full ten minutes to sort out the bill to Hachi's satisfaction, but then the questing fathers were once again on the path to their dreams.

Ranma would be theirs!

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Tokyo Tower 

He fell, tearing and clawing at his opponent. The unnatural stench of the polluted spirit surrounded him as he tore the Tainted One's throat away victoriously. Blood splattered against his body, burning him as it had done throughout their struggle but he ignored it and continued to rend and tear, trying to sever the thing's head from its body. The Death Bringer would find the final sleep with him and his once/future She would be safe. His foe roared in agony as the final swipe of the Cat's claws bore a large hole in its chest.

Bathed in the black blood of his enemy, with the wind shrieking passed his ears, the Cat yowled exultantly. The ground was approaching, but it held no concern for him. His task was done and it was time to heal.

There were constants for Ranma Saotome regardless of form or mindset. He was the best there was, and he never lost. Never. He caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye and looked up, only to heave an extremely put upon sigh.

Stupid She.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The air screamed past her ears as she streamlined her body against the burning air. Her eyes were watering with the velocity that she was traveling, but her mind (for once in her life) refused to catalogue the math involved. Only one thing mattered at this moment – the young man clawing his way to freedom beneath her.

Ami tried to ignore the black expanse of asphalt that was growing larger with every passing second. Instead she remained focused on Ranma as he valiantly tore into his opponent yet again. She could feel the spoiled, acidic blood splattering her face as she passed through a cloud of the liquid. Her magic could handle it, but she doubted she could survive an impact with the ground at this velocity.

She was closer now though, less than maybe seven feet. If she could just get to him, she might be able to break his fall. Tears streamed out of her eyes as the street came closer and closer. Certain death loomed before her, but all she could think of was Ranma.

She had to reach Ranma.

The boy tilted back his head and screamed his victory to the sky. Two feet from his shirt! She was so close! But the ground! It was so close now…so close. Oh God…oh God! She didn't want to die!

There was a dark blur and a sudden arrest to her fall. One moment she was falling and the next she was rocketing up and to the side. The rush of the wind was incredible, leaving her feeling dizzy and disoriented. The clinical part of her mind noted that had she not been in her Senshi guise, her neck and spine would have probably snapped in three different places by the abrupt change in direction. She was confused at the detached sight of Marut hitting the pavement. A cloud of debris and gore shot upward nearly coming level with Mercury's eyes. The odd sensation of heat she felt at her back was equally confusing.

She seemed to hang for a moment in the air, before gravity began to reassert itself. She looked up and noted with more than a little amazement that a fiery angel was carrying her away from Ranma. She struggled against the angelic man's iron grip and called out to the falling warrior beneath her. Her armor was pinching her something fierce, stealing some of her breath away and making it difficult to get any volume to her words.

Wait a minute…since when did she wear armor?

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ranma Neko Waited for the appropriate moment to use his opponent's body as a springboard and launch himself up and away from the ground to bleed his momentum. He felt the Tainted One's impact more than he saw it. His main concern was no longer for his enemy – it was for his She. He had to ensure that his mate didn't get herself into any more trouble. He wasn't sure why she was acting like a cub, but he certainly didn't care either.

He shot upwards like a bullet, aiming to catch her by the scruff of the neck and carry her to safety. The winds brought an unwelcome scent to his nose that he hadn't smelled in a long while. It was the scent of another enemy…one that had killed his last She. Ranma growled and hissed as he caught a glimpse of the Fire Wing, but sadly it was too late to defend his She from the enemy's claws. The Fire Wing snatched his mate out of the air, just before Ranma could reach her, leaving him to sail wide of his goal. Anger filled Ranma Neko as he alighted on a thin pole overlooking the ground where the Tainted One's body fell. He watched as the Fiery One banked lazily, with more of his flock on the way to joining his enemy. They were farther off but steadily gaining ground.

The Fire Wing circled and dipped, looking for a good updraft to carry them higher. Ranma bid his time carefully, waiting until the stupid Fire Wing was over a good landing site for his mate and yet still in range of his claws before striking. It was with a deep-throated growl and a swift motion of his paw that was little more than a blur that Ranma Neko struck, but it had the desired effect. The attack hit with incredible precision and power to cause the Fiery One to screech in agony. Bright blossoms of blood spewed forth from the Fire Wing's head and neck causing Ranma's mate to drop from its claws.

Ranma leapt from his perch making three incredibly swift, and humanly impossible jumps in order to snatch his mate out of the air. One eye however, never left the wounded form of the Fiery One. Even now, Ranma Neko could see his opponent's wounds healing. He snorted as he deposited his mate safely on the ground. There would be enough time to deal with the Fire Wing once Ranma Neko's She was safe.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Saffron's wings blazed, pushing him to the upper heights of his top speed. He was traveling at well beyond the speed of sound, having left his followers well behind him. He could see the falling bodies and easily recognized Isis for who she was. Upon focusing his vision on the other combatants, the Lord of the Phoenix wasn't surprised to see the desiccated mottled mass of the Rhakshasa plummeting to the earth. What was a surprise was seeing Ranma Saotome mixed up in the fight.

It was obvious that Isis was trying to save the boy, and for that single moment Saffron felt a great conundrum. It was obvious that Isis wanted to help Saotome, but there was no way to do so given the speeds at which they were falling. Saffron felt the desire to help his one time enemy as well, in the hopes of someway atoning for his sin, but he had made a covenant to keep with Mercury. Her life took precedent over anyone else. With his decision made, the Lord of the Phoenix swooped down and plucked Isis from the jaws of death. After having her rescued her successfully, he looked back to see that Ranma had somehow arrested his own fall and come to settle on a light post. Satisfied that all was well, Saffron began looking for a place to settle, never realizing that he was under attack.

Saffron screamed in agony as Ranma's assault hit home. Isis fell from his arms, but was retrieved by the Saotome boy in an amazing display of strength and coordination. The Lord of Phoenix Mountain hissed in pain as he tried to staunch the bleeding in his neck. The magic and ki charged attack would be a devil to heal, and to say that the Lord of the Phoenix was shocked would have been a terrible understatement. He wasn't surprised that Ranma had attacked him – in truth, he would have been astonished if the young martial artist hadn't. No, Saffron was more concerned that Ranma had somehow learned to combine the two energy forms into a highly cohesive attack.

Saffron banked, wobbly and fighting for control as he clutched his neck and head. He watched Ranma use a small building as a springboard in order to alight on top of a large vehicle. If Saotome was truly a Chi Wizard with the requisite skill necessary to pull off this attack, then their last encounter should have been much more. Had the boy been holding back? No. It hadn't seemed like it. Saffron pondered the mystery as he landed well away from the area that Ranma had settled and watched his old adversary's curious behavior from a safe distance.

The boy, after settling Isis to the ground began pacing protectively before the Senshi of Mercury on all fours like an enraged tigress protecting her cub. There was a large crowd of curious onlookers, medical and security personnel, and military forces ringing the cordoned area immediately surrounding the Tower. Their fear and unrest supercharged the air, leaving the Lord of the Phoenix feeling uneasy. This was a powder keg just waiting for a spark and he knew it.

Saffron calmed his mind and settled himself to kneel where he had landed, focusing on healing his wounds rather than concerning himself with his surroundings as Kiima and her companions landed behind him. Kiima moved forward to stand beside her Lord, but Saffron held up his hand – silently commanding her to hold her position.

"Do not, whatever you do, demonstrate that you are a threat."

With one look at the situation, Kiima nodded her head and passed the word on to her fellows. Saffron opened his eyes and studied the wounded boy across from him. It was obvious that he was severely wounded, but many of those wounds were already closing before Saffron's eyes. The Phoenix King had known that Ranma was formidable, but he was certain that the boy hadn't been this good when they'd faced each other. It was yet another mystery to ponder, among a steadily growing number. The one that posed the most concern for Saffron was the current mental condition of the young man protecting his living goddess. From the looks of things, Ranma had lost his mind and it wouldn't take much to provoke him. The crowd didn't need too many excuses either.

Saffron pondered the young warrior's strange, yet familiar, stance for a very long time. As the memories fell into place, and Saffron finally noted the burning crescent moon on Ranma's forehead, the Phoenix Lord's face paled. Not only was he dealing with a Neko-ken wielder, but he was also dealing with one of Queen Sahadriel's direct descendants. It was little wonder that the young warrior had overpowered Saffron! Who could stand against the power of a Lunarian of Royal blood? Even without the Guinzuisho, Serenity had been a dreadful opponent to those that had insisted on crossing swords with her.

The Phoenix King's thoughts were interrupted as a number of forms materialized in a large circle between his position and where Ranma paced back and forth. The remaining Senshi glowed with power as they teleported in with the remaining people from the Observation Deck. To Saffron's surprise, they had added a new member to their number; someone, to his mind, that was very reminiscent of the young princess Serenity.

He stood slowly, intent on greeting them, only to find that Ranma had somehow appeared between him and the blonde Senshi with ponytails. He reared up and swiped leaving four shallow, but still burning cuts across Saffron's chest. Kiima leapt to her feet, sword drawn. Ranma's eyes tracked her and Saffron could hear the boy's inhuman growling from where he had fallen to one knee.

"STAND DOWN!"

Saffron's roar caused the gathered crowd around him to fall silent. Kiima dropped her sword and held up her hands, and began backing away slowly. Ranma watched the Lord of the Phoenix closely as Saffron bowed low and mimicked Kiima's retreat. The boy hissed once before turning to the pony-tailed girl. She seemed petrified with fear until Ranma butted his head against her leg and began to purr. He nudged her repeatedly until she finally fell back to Isis, at which point Ranma settled himself on his haunches and began cleaning himself as any wounded cat would.

If it had been in any other circumstance, Saffron would have laughed. Sadly, there was very little about this situation that felt humorous. Once he was within range, Kiima began fussing over him. He bore her ministrations for a time, but he pushed her aside when Senshi Pluto stepped from the crowd and began walking towards him. He waited until she stopped before slowly walking forward himself to meet her. He noted that Ranma had stopped cleaning his wounds and eyed his every step tensely. Once he was before her, he knelt – one hand over his heart, head bowed. He heard Kiima and a number of his subjects gasp and murmur at his display, but he ignored them in favor of honoring the woman before him.

"Rise Saffron, Sovereign Lord of the Horus." Her voice was just as he remembered it – sensuous and filled with hidden mystery. "Rise and be counted."

Saffron did as he was told, wincing a bit as his still regenerating wounds burned with pain. He withstood her stare stoically, allowing her to see into his past and future as she had done on numerous occasions in the ancient past. After a few very long moments, her eyes softened and she offered him her hand.

"Well met, old friend."

"Well met, Pluto, Avatar of the Threy, Senshi of Time." He bowed to her again and then looked over to Isis and raised his voice so that she would hear. "We felt the cold fires of Mercury burning, and have come to their call. How may we serve our goddess?"

Pluto looked over at the rather disheveled form of her teammate pointedly. The Senshi of Mercury was at a loss for words, blushing at the sudden scrutiny she was besieged by. She shrugged her shoulders and absently smoothed Ranma's matted hair back. He purred and nudged her thigh with his cheek, causing Mercury to blush even more. Pluto decided to save her friend before she spontaneously combusted.

"The Rhakshasa have begun to stir, Lord Saffron. Will you stand with us."

"Forever and always, Lady Pluto." Saffron declared. He looked at the smoking crater where the Rhakshasa's body lay and after a moment he bowed his head to hide his deep shame. "The Horus know well that the demons are afoot, Lady Pluto. We have already felt their touch."

Pluto looked shocked for a moment, but her stoic mask slipped back into place. Saffron did not notice at all.

"Tell us, please." The Lord of Phoenix Mountain raised his head at the dulcet tones of the new voice. He looked up in time to see the new Senshi steeping forward, in spite of Ranma's attempts to block her path.

"Forgive me, Noble One, but I do not remember you."

The young woman looked ready to open her mouth, but Pluto beat her to the punch. The Time Key materialized in her hand and she rapped it three times on the concrete, causing the surrounding area to echo loudly. Her voice was louder still, sounding clearly above the murmuring crowd.

"LOOK YE NOW, CITIZENS OF THE EARTH, AND SEE! NEO-SERENITY, FIRST DAUGHTER OF SERENITY, EMPRESS OF THE MOON, HEART AND SOUL OF THE CRYSTAL MILLENNIUM! THE QUEEN IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

Saffron felt pole-axed and immediately fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground at the new Senshi's feet. He stretched his wings out to their fullest, much as his own supplicants did for him, leaving them open and vulnerable to attack as a symbol of his reverence. He saw Pluto kneel beside him and chanced a glance out of the corner of his eyes to see that the rest of the Senshi had followed suit. He could hear the crowd around them murmuring excitedly, and heard the unfamiliar click of photographers snapping pictures. He dared not look up for fear of offending the queen of his gods.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Usagi watched the winged man's face pale noticeably, and felt herself following his lead. Her knees felt weak and everywhere she looked there were people whispering and pointing. The flash of cameras flared around her and in the background she could hear the running commentary of reporters continuing their blow-by-blow account of events as they unfolded. Somewhere above her head, she could hear helicopters flying around; most likely pointing even more cameras down on her and her friends.

Man, she hoped that her hair looked okay. She looked heavenward and closed her eyes. If nothing else, please at least giver her that!

Her friends knelt reverently, as did the other bird people behind Saffron; even some of the people she and the Senshi had rescued from the Tower had fallen to their knees. She felt so lost and alone. One moment she was a simple schoolgirl, worrying about what her mother was going to say about her last math test, the next she's suddenly the queen of the Moon. When everything was said and done, Usagi vowed to skin Setsuna alive. Future be damned, the woman was going to suffer!

Usagi sighed and felt a bump at her thigh. She looked down to see that the only one in the immediate area that had not bowed was Ranma. He just looked up at her expectantly. She noted with some wonder as a familiar golden symbol, one that matched her own sigil, shone forth brightly on his brow. She stared long and hard into his eyes until she felt a sharp tug over her heart. She looked down in shock as a bright silver glow pulsed from the center of her chest in time with her heart. She covered the spot, desperately hoping that no one would see or take notice.

Sadly, everyone and their dog were watching her at this moment, so it was readily apparent that her efforts were less than futile. Flashing rhythmically, the arcane crystal teleported those of her court that had not yet arrived. Luna and Artemis arrived in their human guises and Endymion appeared immediately to her right, handsome as ever in his armor. He looked flushed and out of breath – as if he had been running. She favored him with a loving smile as he bowed to her, kneeling alongside her advisors. As this happened, she could feel the familiar build up of energies within her and a cascade of power passed over and through her, leaving Princess Serenity to stand where Sailor Moon had once been.

The power of the Guinzuisho bathed her hands in a cloud of white light and she was forced to steady herself as Ranma butted against her thigh again. As she reached down to balance herself, she pressed down on top of his head and the glow from her hands seemed to flow into the young man. She felt the crystal pulse again and watched in awe as the madness fled from Ranma's face. He looked so cute as his bewildered eyes tried to assess everything. He looked to her and she saw surprising flash of recognition blossom in his countenance. His tattered clothes disappeared in a flash of blue light, leaving him dressed in a familiar black and silver uniform. She tried to place it, but all she could feel was the oddest sense of frustration when she looked down at him. Sadness overwhelmed her to see him fall to his knees amongst all the others.

Alone again, Usagi…no, Neo-Serenity, looked out over the sea of faces gawking at her. She felt like an island amidst an ocean of people, until Pluto stood up and grabbed Ranma's elbow and forced him to stand beside Neo-Serenity. She wanted to laugh at his urgent attempts to shake the Senshi of Time off, but the atmosphere was just too austere to do more than smile. Ranma slapped Pluto's hands until she finally let go, and as he started to kneel again Pluto rapped the Time Key on the ground again making him jump. Three resonant booms washed over the area as the Guinzuisho's light flared again. The light was so bright that even Neo-Serenity had to avert her eyes.

When everything cleared, Ranma stood looking down at himself in panic. Where before he wore a black and silver uniform, he now was adorned in a suit of highly polished platinum with an elegant sword belted at his hip. Runes and arcane symbols danced across its surface and a stunning cape of navy silk caught the wind. He looked to Neo-Serenity in horror, hoping beyond hope that this was a terrible joke. Her only comfort to him was another sheepish smile and a small shrug of her shoulders. Pluto's ringing voice called out clear, drawing their attention back to her.

"LOOK YE NOW, CITIZENS OF THE EARTH, AND SEE! ARAMAS, FIRST BORN OF SERENITY! LAST TRUE SON OF ATLANTIS, EMPEROR OF THE EARTH AND THE MOON, GUARDIAN OF LIFE, DEFENDER OF THE CRYSTAL MILLENNIUM! THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING!"

The Guinzuisho flared again, brighter than ever before, supplanting the shock and amazement of Pluto's announcement with a sense of wondrous peace and an incalculable love. Neo-Serenity felt a pull at the center of her chest as the Guinzuisho left her body to float freely before her.

It hovered between Ranma and Neo-Serenity for a time, pulsing brightly until the light of the Silver Crystal finally coalesced into a very familiar figure. A mother, long dead but not forgotten, stood before her children with a warm smile. Her translucent form opened her arms to them and Neo-Serenity was the first to respond.

It was amazing how real the apparition felt. One could even smell the all but forgotten scent of Attedi oil that filled Neo-Serenity's mind with so many memories of life lived ten thousand years ago. Mother and daughter stood, locked in that embrace for a long drawn out moment, drawing strength from one another until, at last, Neo-Serenity felt a soft butterfly kiss on her forehead. With reluctance the embrace lessened and then the warmth of her mother's arms faded completely.

"You're never alone, Daughter."

The words were felt more than heard, and suddenly she remembered! She remembered it all! The good and the bad. The love of her mother, the life she had lived as the daughter of the Argent Queen; the laughter they shared late at night behind closed doors, and most importantly her mother's undying love for her daughter and her kingdom. The long forgotten memories came back with an undeniable clarity and Neo-Serenity wept with joy as the ghost of her mother and queen turned her attention to the young man at her side.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ranma felt overwhelmed. Memories of Aramas surged forward, flooding his mind like the storm surge of a typhoon. He was awash in confusion and denial as everything tried to seize his attention at once. He looked to Princess Serenity for direction, but only found her caught up in her own joy. The spirit of the deceased Queen smiled and held out her hands to him. There was no denying her though. His heart knew her, even if his mind chose not to.

"Mother." He said in a quiet voice filled with hidden emotion as he knelt before her. He had never been good at expressing himself, least of all to her. Out the violent storm of his chaotic memories, he remembered that plainly – that and the fact that his presence had always brought her pain and regret.

"Pain and regret. . ." her voice echoed softly in his ears. "Yes I have known those Aramas. But know this above all else – my choices were the cause for these feelings, not you." She lovingly cupped his chin in her palm. "Never you."

A pair of warm arms lifted him from where he knelt, and a sudden blanket of love the likes of which he had never known enveloped him. Beneath it all, there was a hidden shame and an immense sense of guilt.

"My son. Oh, my beloved son!"

Ranma looked down into the ghostly woman's crying eyes and saw, for the first time in his life, absolute acceptance and unconditional love. He felt his heartache as the memories of this woman started to settle in the forefront of his mind. He had admired her strength, honored her courage, and loved her deeply. He remembered the quiet moments they had shared, the motherly affection she had showered him with when they were away from the eyes of her court. She had become for him the mother his heart called for, and now he understood why. She was the mother he had never known, yet always longed for.

"Can you forgive me?"

Ranma wrapped his arms around her and held her close – letting his actions speak for him when his voice failed. It felt as though he had waited countless centuries for this dream to be realized. He dug deep for the words he knew he'd always wanted to say, but never had the courage to even whisper when it really mattered.

"I love you, Mother." What else could he say to her? He didn't want to accept this whole Aramas deal, but at the same time he couldn't ignore the longing he felt – especially to this magnificent woman. There would be no more regret in this life. A man could say such things to those that mattered, and still be a man. The only question in Ranma's bewildered mind, was which man should he be – Aramas or Ranma? At the moment it really didn't matter, but he knew that once this time with the ghost of his past life's mother was done the question would not be denied so easily.

Serenity cried out in joy and clung to her son for as long as possible, but in the end the power allowing her to interact on this plane failed and she disappeared in a shimmer of light that returned to the pulsing Guinzuisho. Ranma clung to her warmth for as long as possible before he lifted his head to look at his newfound sister. He ignored the tear tracks on his face and grasped Neo-Serenity's hand, reveling in the feeling of having family again.

The public surrounding the area watched on in undisguised interest as the event continued to unfold. It was a fairytale come to life. They would have remained entranced by the spectacle had a silent wind not kicked up around the heirs of the Silver Millennium. The crowd cried out in alarm as the radiance of the pair began to grow, bathing the area beneath the Tower and everyone that happened to be in it, in a bright comforting glow. The Senshi, and those directly connected to them, were swept off of their feet to float in a sparkling cloud of magic that continued to climb steadily into the air. The crowd of survivors from the Observation Tower bolted, only to find their terrified voices swallowed up by a deafening, magical silence that reached outward from the heirs to envelop the immediate area surrounding Tokyo Tower.

The group floated some fifty to sixty feet off the ground before Neo-Serenity stretched her arms above her head, and focused the power of the crystal until the sky darkened above the Tower. The heirs of the Moon Kingdom became the only light in the area – two tiny stars against the backdrop of the dark blue sky.

One by one the Senshi began responding to the call of the crystal's power. And still, the group continued to slowly climb into the air. As they passed the ruined Observation Deck, each of their Planet's totems shone on their foreheads - beginning with Mercury and ending with Pluto. Their bodies began to glow, becoming veritable a rainbow of colors that complimented the nimbus of light surrounding Ranma and Neo-Serenity. The group continued to rise until they finally came to a stop one thousand feet above Tokyo Tower. The Senshi slowly began orbiting the royal pair, exuding more and more light as their bodies picked up speed.

Ranma was barely aware of his surroundings as he looked to his new sister. He noted that Neo-Serenity's eyes blazed white, mirroring the crystal's glow. The power of the Guinzuisho throbbed and grew, its aura steadily swelling from the size of a soft ball to the size of a large weather balloon in a matter of seconds. A pair of majestic, snow-white wings burst from her back, showering hundreds of perfect feathers into the winds that were common at this height. The woman looked every bit the queen her mother had been and more. The miasma of menace that had filled the air only a little while before, slowly changed into something lighter; something much more awe-inspiring.

Ranma felt the power of the Gunizuisho reach out to him and had the distinct impression that he was swaddled in tendrils of pure love. His body swiveled in mid-air, turning slowly until he was face to face with his sister. He unconsciously closed his eyes as he felt the surge of energy course through him. There was a sudden tug at his back and then the pressure he'd felt building inside him found release. His eyes opened, and ignited with the same white light that flowed from the Moon Princess. His soul reached through the Silver Crystal and touched her. They slowly began to mingle, fusing into one entity that reached out to touch and invite those orbiting them to join their union. One by one, without hesitation, the Court of Neo-Serenity responded; opening and offering themselves to their king and queen.

They lived each other's lives. Reliving a million memories and more; memories that were full to bursting with happiness and pain, joy and agony. They shared it all…as a family.

No more secrets. No more pain. Just one eternal moment of unity.

Ranma Saotome, once known as Aramas the Drumheller, slowly opened his mouth. Those that could see past the intense light saw Neo-Serenity, and all those gathered about the Royal siblings, mimic him.

"I remember."

The echoes of their voices intertwined and seemed to resonate in the hearts of every man and woman throughout Tokyo. A column of light, punched through the atmosphere from the glowing sphere that the Guinzuisho had become, rocketing towards the moon that was little more than a sliver in the sky above. There was a responding flash when the column touched the moon and then, as if by some unspoken signal, the rest of the Senshi joined their power to the beam.

The Silence Glaive appeared in Saturn's hands, even as the other tokens of power came to their owners call. The pillar of light broadened and divided itself into a mighty, scintillating rainbow. The column of energy hit the moon again, driving away the Earths shadow and illuminating the satellite for all of Europe and Asia to see. And then the rainbow, in the blink of an eye, splintered. All but two of the beams went shooting deeper into space. Lights flashed brightly in the sky as the celestial bodies of the solar system responded to the revival of their children. The heirs of a long dead kingdom cried out in one tremendous voice; shaking the earth in the process, causing the winds to howl, seas to rage, and animals world wide to fall silent.

"I REMEMBER!"

All the windows within a ten-block radius shattered at the sound, driving people to their knees. The planets shot back their homage, sending wave after wave of power into their Avatars. The advent of a solar system, honoring the first-born son of Serenity, Queen of the Moon Kingdom, washed over the Earth.

A king and queen had awakened, and all of nature stilled to witness their rebirth.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Saotome Residence 

Nodoka Saotome clutched her heart as a stabbing pain shot through her chest. The sword she had been clinging to, fell from numb fingertips, to clatter on the floor at her feet. There was a sudden sense of loss, and Nodoka felt as if her world had just been ripped from her.

Her son was lost to her. She knew it now for certain.

She wept, unable to deny what her heart was telling her, and in a moment of brutal clarity she realized that she had no one to blame but herself. Her prideful choices had nearly destroyed her baby boy, as well as the beautiful little girl that had so yearned to be her daughter. The insight stole her strength, leaving her incapable of picking up the sword she had carried so faithfully over the years. It was just as well, for had she the power; the blade would have been the end of her life.

Time passed. How much she neither knew nor cared. When the knock came to her door, she couldn't bring herself to muster the strength to answer it. When the men in black suits came in, identifying themselves as representatives of the government, she didn't fight them at all. They gathered her along with her things and escorted her to a black limousine not far from her house. As the car drove away, she chanced a look at the Saotome home.

A feeling of despair settled deeper into her heart at the thought that this was probably the last time she would ever see her house.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Juuban 

Herb and Xian Pu clung to each other as they were driven to their knees by some unseen power. In their mind's eyes they saw a face that was very familiar to them both and wondered what it meant. Had they been more aware of their surroundings, they would have seen another figure with fox-like features mimicking them not far away.

Nearby, in a very busy home owned by the remnants of a fallen nation, Khu Lon sat bolt up right in her bed and cried out in rapturous joy.

"HOPE! He has ascended! The Prince has come!" She clutched her chest and smiled, tears flowing freely down her face at the memory of touching the life of this wonderfully pure soul.

"The Son of the Moon, the Heir of Atlantis is come!" She breathed a great sigh and fell back to pillows, never to wake again. Her affairs were in order, and the line of succession assured. Even so, over three hundred years of life did not prepare her for the death that she'd been avoiding for so very long.

As spirit left her body, Khu Lon's only regret was not being able to say goodbye to her great granddaughter in person. A letter was no way to tell someone that you were proud of them. All thoughts of the mortal world fled her as a white light enveloped her.

And so it was that, Khu Lon passed into the afterlife, to be received by her beloved ancestors.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Musk Palace 

Ahbrim Ur watched the events unfolding within the shadowy confines of the Media Room. He was almost overwhelmed by a mixture of pride and disgust. Pride for his beautiful son, and disgust at the love he still felt for the ghostly woman that even now embraced his child. He felt the Guizuisho's power building the moment Serenity's daughter appeared on the television screens. Marut's attack on the Senshi had not been unforeseen, neither was it truly a bad thing. A confrontation was inevitable, and the more information they had on Serenity's Witches, the better.

This however…this development was something else entirely. Ur wasted no time in teleporting from the Media Room, appearing on the summit of the tallest mountain in the region to wait for the advent of this celestial event to come.

He didn't wait long. The power of the Ginzishou rocketed to the heavens. The earth seemed to tremble and groan in rapture, the winds cried out joyously in the mountain passes, and the Dragon Lines sung.

They spoke with one voice to those special few that could hear; millions of voices unified in purpose to honor a son that had been hidden away from evil long ago. The voice chilled his blood, broke his soul, and caused his anger to boil fiercely. How many years had he lost with his child? What wonders had he missed out on because of a woman's pride? He could not know, and that above all else was the worst punishment his dead wife had ever laid upon him.

"SERENITY!"

He roared in denial of his wife's final sin against him. The noise brought five Rhakshasa loping up the mountainside, in the hopes to build their stature by defending this human that the clans had supported. They died, writhing in agony the instant they came close to the Lord of the Hunt. Ur's body ignited in an aura of black flames, the likes of which this world hadn't seen in millennia. A third of the mountainside was leveled before Ur seized control again. Those Rhakshasa not wounded or dead from the destruction wrought, gained a new respect for the human that lead them in this hunt among humanity.

The winds and earth paid little heed to Ur's voice, as powerful as it was. The man who had once ruled them had fallen far in their eyes. He could command them still, but they would never willingly serve him as they once had.

The elements prayed in their celebrations that the son would follow more in his mother's footsteps.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

:_I remember._:

The thought played across their collective minds, like a water sprite dancing across the surface of a placid lake. Images, dark and foreboding rose to the surface consuming peace. Hidden walls crumbled, fears and dark secrets emerged from the depths of their collective soul.

Sailor Pluto seemed to glow with a crimson light, and then a doorway to the past opened.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**The Moon Kingdom**

Serenity screamed out in agony as another harsh contraction washed over her. Huge droplets of sweat beaded on her flushed brow. After thirty-six hours of labor, she was almost done. And though she loved her child more than life itself, she was going to be very happy to have her figure back. She was very tired of looking like she had a watermelon stuck in her stomach.

A very human Luna stood where Serenity's husband should have been, holding her hand, adding her strength to her Queen's. But that was old news. Ahbrim had made it clear long ago where his allegiances lay.

The young midwife, Lasa, smiled brightly.

"One more push, Majesty!" She coached. "The baby is almost out!"

Serenity inhaled sharply and then bore down, pushing for all that she was worth. The low growl that rumbled from her throat grew steadily, turning into a cry of triumph as the pressure released. The acute pain ended, turning into a dull throbbing that ebbed into numbness as exhaustion seeped into her bones.

A strong, healthy wail went up throughout the room, followed by a mighty cry throughout the palace. It was as if all the stars of Heaven cried out at the child's coming. Lasa looked up at her Queen with tears in her eyes. Her voice was choked with intense emotion as she severed the cord binding mother and child as one. Luna looked on the baby boy with her own tears, as she wrapped the new prince in a warm blanket and proceeded to clean him.

Serenity waited impatiently for Luna to bring her the Jewel of her life. Her first born. Luna worked quickly, and soon the Queen of the Moon Kingdom was looking into the beautiful pink face of her child.

"Mother," she whispered with great emotion. "I give you your Son."

Serenity couldn't take her eyes from the Moon Kingdom's new Heir, memorizing every little wrinkle and all the lines on his tiny fingers. She was mesmerized. Could this fussy little stranger be the same being that not moments before had been a part of her?

"He's so beautiful!" Tears of joy ran freely down her cheeks, but she refused to look away from her son.

"By what Name shall he be known?" Sailor Pluto stood not far off, resolute but not immune to the scene before her. A broad smile and annoyingly wet eyes plagued her normally serious demeanor.

Serenity looked up at Setsuna, one of her dearest friends and beamed.

"Aramas. Son of Hope."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

A mist clouded the vision of a proud mother's joyous face, enveloping the scene. Another pair of voices surfaced.

:_I remember._:

Sailors Uranus and Neptune glowed softly, limned with a majestic orange light that boarded on bronze with the occasional splash of sea green dancing across the surface of the light.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Moon Kingdom, one week after Ur's sentencing.**

"How could you let him live?" The newly appointed Uranus, cried out at her Queen. Raw pain cut the air like a knife. "He stole from me the only family that I had left!"

"Uranus!" Luna cried out against the agonized youth. "Hold your tongue!" She would have lit into the young Senshi, had Serenity not cut her off with a slight motion of her hand.

The Moon Queen wore a black dress that signified her mourning, and her eyes still bore the mark of hot, angry tears. She clenched her newborn son to her chest fearfully. As if he too might soon be lost to her. But Uranus' grief, though different was no less potent. Serenity knew this, and was sympathetic. Still, she had to turn the young woman from the path of vengeance, or she too would fall to the darkness.

"You seek justice?" Serenity asked in a voice that was all but devoid of life. "You seek retribution against Ur for his crime against you."

Sailor Uranus sent a challenging look her Queen's way. "I don't just seek it! I demand it!" she spat.

Serenity nodded once, and then slowly stood. Uranus marveled at her beauty and grace, something that she knew she would never have. And as the Matriarch of the Twelve Kingdoms stood, Uranus knew that she had gone too far. Even so the rash girl refused to back down.

"Then I grant it." Uranus cried out with joy, and spun on her heel. The Valley of Silence was one quick teleport away, and so too was Ur's ultimate demise. Serenity though, had other plans for the young woman.

"HALT!" One word. That's all it ever took for Serenity to be obeyed, and with reason. The anger that laced her voice was enough to split stone, and it made Uranus freeze in mid-step. "Where do you think you are going?"

Uranus spun on her heel in frustration. "Where else? To kill the bastard that murdered my mother!" Serenity smiled darkly. It was the single most terrifying thing that Uranus had experienced.

"What gave you the impression that I sanctioned that?" The smile didn't fade, causing Uranus to work hard to respond.

"But... but you said..."

"I said that you would be granted your request for retribution. I said nothing about offering Ur release from his imprisonment." Serenity descended the steps that led up to her throne, coming to stand before the tall, powerful frame of Uranus. Her eyes narrowed angrily and bore down on the Senshi. She had to show the girl the pointlessness of vengeance, and the poison that it created. If she did not, she feared that Uranus would be lost to her.

"Ur shall remain where he is for all Eternity." Her voice was smooth and controlled. "He will live, conscious of his existence, aware of his plight, and unable to free himself. He will pay for his crimes until Terra crumbles into dust. Do I make myself clear?" Uranus swallowed hard, and nodded.

Yet, through her fear she still felt slighted. Ur may suffer throughout Eternity, but it did nothing to heal the void in her heart. "And what of Justice?"

Serenity raised an eyebrow at the question. "What of it Uranus? Do you not see that his suffering will be eternal?"

"His suffering cannot bring my mother back!" the blonde woman spat angrily.

Serenity sighed and moved over to a small bassinet, where she lay a sleeping Aramas. With all the considerable dignity that she could muster, she returned to face one of her chosen champions. The girl had lost her center, the foundation of her world.

"Well? Where is the retribution that you promised?" Uranus demanded.

Serenity smiled sadly and shook her head. "What do you seek Ilzbeth? A life for a life? There is a balance that must be maintained. For all the power of the Ginzuishou, I cannot craft for you another. The very thought is obscene."

The girl's angry, tortured countenance was a pitiful sight to behold. She, in her inexperience, wanted something to make her mother's passing meaningful. "Very well, you desire a just recompense, so be it. Justice demands that you take the life of a mother to replace the one that was taken from you." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I offer myself."

"Serenity!" Luna cried out in anger and shock.

"Know your place Chancellor!" The queen raged at her advisor. "I am dispensing Justice."

"But my Queen!" Luna protested.

"Luna!" The rebuke was swift and sure, and Luna was cowed. And the Queen returned to her champion.

Uranus smiled and shook her head.

"Why do you smile Senshi? Is there something amusing about this situation?" Uranus again swallowed at the deadly serious tone in her Matriarch's voice.

"No Majesty." she said bowing. "It's just...well..."

Serenity rolled her eyes.

"Spit it out girl and be done with it."

"I've sworn an oath." Uranus cleared her throat and recited in a strong voice the tie that bound her to Serenity.

"'Beneath the Stars of Heaven and by my True Name;

My life shall fall before that of my Queen.

I shall stand watch against all threats from without.

I will guard against all terror from within.'"

She smiled weakly, before shrugging.

"I'd have to kill myself, before I could kill you Majesty, and somehow I don't think that this would turn out well."

"Then I release you from your bond. Take my life for that of your mother's." It was cruel to put Uranus in such a position, but the girl needed to understand the heavy mantle that she now wore. She would have to understand the difference between retribution and true justice.

"I will not do that your majesty."

Serenity nodded darkly at the young woman, as if she had already seen this.

" What will it take to appease your sense of Justice?"

A sense of rage built in the young warrior's face, and it took only a moment for her to deliver her demand.

"Ur's blood!"

Serenity looked upon the blood-thirsty Senshi with a tired acceptance.

"So be it then. Kill Ur's heir, and let there be an end to this."

"WHAT!" Luna screamed. "NO!"

With a great heave the chancellor launched herself from the dais, changing in mid-leap from her human guise, to a hybrid form of her natural feline state and her human mask. Long wicked claws stood grew from her hands, and her black eyes narrowed to deadly slits. A feral hiss emitted from her throat as she placed herself between her prince and two mad women.

"Stand aside Luna," Serenity said stoically. "Let Justice reign. Uranus desires recompense for the life of a family member. Let her have it."

"You're joking, right?" Uranus asked, but the deadly serious look in the Queen's eyes, chilled the Sword Princess to her bones.

Luna had the audacity to growl at her Queen.

"Over my dead body."

Serenity shook her head, and motioned with her hand. The Ginzishou flared once and Luna found herself encased in a block of crystal. She clawed at the prison until her fingers bled, and even then she refused to give in; hammering on the barrier until her hands matched her claws. Tears of anger and frustration cascaded down her furred cheeks.

Uranus looked at her ruler as if she had grown another head.

"Well? Here is your chance. Dispense your Justice." Serenity urged with open contempt.

"You're serious." The girl was stunned.

"Of course I'm serious! Call forth your sword, and spill his perverted blood. You wanted this, Girl. Take your vengeance and be done with it!"

Uranus made no move to comply.

"DO IT!" The command was bellowed with such force, that Aramas woke in a crying fit.

The squeals of the child, mingled with her own anger and frustration pushed the Sword Princess into action. She summoned her soul's blade to her, and flew at the wailing baby's cradle. Within an instant she stood over Aramas, with her sword raised above her head. At the sight of Uranus, the Prince ceased crying and stared at her with large, innocent eyes.

He reached out for her and smiled hesitantly, looking for comfort.

All of Uranus' resolve crumbled beneath the onslaught of the child's charm, and she fell to her knees weeping over him. Her sword winked out of existence the moment her knees touched the floor.

Serenity released Luna with a wave of her hand, healing her injuries in the same moment. The advisor looked between her Queen and the Senshi with mistrust. Serenity ignored her closest friend for the time being. Choosing instead to comfort the afflicted young woman draped over her son.

"Why didn't you take your Justice?" she asked Uranus.

The short- girl haired wept for sometime before answering. "Because he was innocent."

"I am glad that you can see the difference." The Queen said. "Ur has been punished. Stop punishing yourself." She rested her hands on Uranus' shoulders, and tried ineffectually to massage the girl's pain away. "There was nothing that you could have done for Anne, save die with her. She died for something that she believed in. She was the most noble of souls and I loved her as dearly as I would a sister."

Serenity walked around the bassinet, so that she could look Uranus in the eyes.

"As much as I would wish otherwise, there will come a time when you too, are called to fight for something you believe in Ilzbeth. Something that you love enough to die for." The words hung like a dark prophecy between the two women, bringing with it an uncomfortable silence.

"I pray that those you leave behind will find the strength to make the most of your sacrifice."

Aramas took the opportunity of Uranus' distraction to grab a handful of her short hair and yank. The mannish Senshi grinned and winced.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The scene faded. Mists closed over the memory. And another pair of voices rose from the depths.

"I remember."

Luna and Artemis glowed white and gold in turn, shifting shape as they did so. Their now human faces smiled warmly, glowing just as much as the crescents on their foreheads did.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Luna ran through the corridors of the Palace. Decorum, for once, had been thrown to the wind. The urgency of her message forced her to assume her hybrid shape, to gain the extra speed and agility needed to get the message to her Queen without any embarrassing incidents with the nobles of the court.

She flew down the Mardrinus' Hall and up the wide flight of stairs that lead up to the throne room. Lady Diameties made the mistake of stopping to talk to the fat, Lord Gorin, and Luna was forced to hurdle them both. Diameties fell flat on her anorexic butt with a screech, while Gorin soiled himself in his surprise. There were times that Luna hated having heightened senses. She had no time to waste on helping "the Bloat" and "the Stick" to their feet.

Thankfully.

She would never hear the end of this, but that was an acceptable fate if she could save the life of her Prince.

Two guards were stupid enough to bar her path as she barreled up to the great doors of the throne room. The delay was no more than a blink of her eyes, before their stupidity was punished. It took both men eight weeks to recover from their wounds, and they accorded Luna the greatest respect whenever their paths crossed after that.

As Luna recovered and raced to the dais of her Queen, she noticed that Setsuna stood at Serenity's side. The Senshi of Time whispered something in the Queen's ear at which Serenity nodded.

"Clear the Hall!" Sailor Pluto cried. Rapping the Time Staff three times on the dais. The ringing it made, held an echo of power in it that sent noble and page alike scurrying for cover.

The Hall was clear long before Luna had made it half way up the dais. Luna smiled. Had it been Saturn instead of Pluto, the Venusian cat knew that they would have reacted even faster.

Serenity nodded again when the hall was seemingly clear.

"Call them, Pluto."

Setsuna nodded once and bowed before sending out the call to the other Senshi. Luna slowed her pace when she had all but reached the summit of dais.

The Queen's eyes rested heavily on Luna.

"She has sent them hasn't she?"

Luna hung her head.

"There is no proof that she is orchestrating the endeavor, Majesty." the Chancellor said darkly. "At least not any longer."

"Can we revive your witness?" Serenity asked hopefully.

Luna shook her head sadly.

"Onyx left very little to revive, my Queen. We have no evidence to take to Endymion and the Council of Twelve Kingdoms."

Serenity slammed her fist on the marble arm of her throne with such force as to send cracks spider webbing across its surface.

"The WHORE!" she cried out as she stood. "THAT SLUTTY DEN-WITCH! She stole my husband, she sank Atlantis with her greed, and now she seeks to steal MY SON!"

Pluto could count the number of times on two hands that Serenity had ever been truly angry, and still have fingers to spare. But in all the times that she had seen the woman incensed, she had never known her to exhibit such hatred. Serenity whirled on her two aides, her white dress billowing wildly to match the fervor in her eyes.

"She will not have him!" The deadly tone in her voice was enough to send shivers down the spines of other women. Pluto finally understood the saying about the lioness and her cub. "I will go to war before that slimy, gutter tramp lays one finger on Aramas!"

The words still echoed loudly throughout the Hall when the other Senshi began to appear in great pillars of colorful light. Serenity waited until they had all arrived.

Elders Mars, Venus, and Jupiter arrived together. Followed closely by the elder Senshi Mercury and Neptune. Serenity silently waved her hand, indicating that they search the room.

Mercury's visor ferreted out twenty listening devices and two spies that were dealt with quickly and efficiently. When nothing else was found Serenity nodded again to Pluto who tapped her communicator twice calling out for Uranus and the young Neptune to join the group.

The two young Senshi appeared with a sleepy young Aramas cradled in Neptune's arms, fast asleep. As far as her son was concerned, Serenity trusted few. But Uranus and Neptune had all but adopted the boy as their own. Uranus was as attached to Aramas as Luna, and guarded him just as fiercely. And the elegant Neptune was the only other person, aside from the Queen herself, who could put the young toddler to sleep. It was a fact that grated on Luna's nerves to no end.

Serenity reviewed her champions critically and then motioned them together. It was no secret that Onyx of Lemuria had coveted Ahbrim Ur's heir, nor was it a secret that Serenity lost no love for the woman. What was a secret was the fact that the Moon Queen had known the other woman's every step up until her mole had been ferreted out.

The plan to assault the Palace was a well-known fact as well, at least to Serenity. And so provisions had been made, a plan set in motion, and old favors called in. With Onyx's attack imminent, it was time to put all of this mother's preparation into motion.

She would not lose her son to the gutter-slut. And this plan ensured it. The Ginzishou glowed and the Senshi teleported. Luna was left to console the weeping Serenity, as she sent her one and only son away. War would descend on them all, destroying the fragile alliances that she had struggled so hard to build. All over the legacy of one, loathsome, man.

Three long years had passed since Ur had been shut away, and here she stood, still plagued by his evils. Would she never be free of him? The void in her heart testified that he would always hold sway over her. For now, all that she could do was weep tears of mourning for the second time. Her son was lost to her, cradled in the arms of another, in order to be safe from the clutching grasp of evil.

How would love prevail, when she was forced to give away her Hope?

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Pluto stood before a very bedraggled, and seemingly human, Artemis. She gently placing the child in the Venusian's willowy arms, letting the weight of her immortal eyes say what words alone could not. Young Neptune wept openly, as did some of the Elder Senshi.

From this moment onward Aramas, Prince of the Moon Kingdom, was dead. A fabrication would ensue, and a lie published to cover the myriad of half truths that they themselves would be forced to speak. He would die in the raid that Onyx planned, and war would inevitably follow – just as the evil Queen yearned for.

Unfortunately, Artemis would have no idea whose child he raised either. The poor beggar hadn't been seen in the palace since he had left Luna at the altar. But the Senshi were not allowed to judge men by their faults. He had made an error, a painful one that had almost cost him his life. And while his self-inflicted exile aided their cause, Pluto could see that it was killing him inside.

"Guard this one as if he were your own, Artemis." She said solemnly. "Train him up to defend himself and his Queen. On your life, make him the best the Moon Kingdom has to offer, for he will be needed in the future. Another will come to aid you in your task. Be watchful."

It was all that needed to be said. Artemis looked down at the child in his arms for a long time before nodding his head in determination. Setsuna watched as life entered the wastelands that were the Venusian's eyes.

He had reason to live again, a purpose and hopefully a chance at redemption. She prayed that he didn't squander it.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower Bowling Center**

Juuban

Yuriko Mizuno was pissed. Even amidst all the chaos and excitement, people could see and respect a rampaging mother when they saw one. Those that dared look her in the eye whispered prayers for the poor child that was on the receiving end of this woman's wrath. She stomped her way through the first and second security cordons, making her way up to the third blockade with little trouble. She would have made it past that barricade as well, had it not been for the diligent police officer that was intent on doing his job rather than watching the events unfolding around him.

"Hey! This area is off limits Miss. You can't come through here."

Yuriko ignored him in favor to getting to her daughter as fast as possible. The police officer had other plans for her though. He grabbed her arm with the intent to stop her, and was thoroughly shocked when the lithe doctor didn't stop. She continued to drag the young officer past the fourth barricade, scooping up a megaphone as she went. She acquired more police officers, who insisted on attempting to drag her back to the barricade. They inevitably began making progress, but not before Yuriko Mizuno had her say. Lifting the megaphone to her mouth she directed her angry voice heavenward.

"AMI MIZUO! THIS IS YOUR MOTHER SPEAKING!" The police officers paused a moment to cover their ears. "YOU ARE SOOO GROUNDED!"

No one had ever seen a crowd of this size face-fault before, but it would definitely be a favorite piece of footage for the news media in the days ahead.

"DO YOU HEAR ME? GROUNDED! _FOREVER_!"

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

"I remember."

Unaware of the world around them, Ami and the other Senshi sang. Their voices formed a magnificent chorus that swelled in the heart. A companionable love underlined an immense oceanic passion that could barely be contained.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**The floating island fortress of Avalon**

Venus

"He returns." Pluto whispered unknowingly to the gathered Senshi.

Young Venus looked at Pluto quizzically. "Who is returning Lady Pluto?"

Pluto looked up at the gathered soldiers, and smiled grimly.

"A ghost." Her joy faded to a sense of urgency. "One that might remain a ghost for true. Come, Saturn, a life hangs in the balance!"

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**The Moon Palace**

The pounding of distressed boots echoed up and down the pristine corridors of the Moon Palace. Servants melted into the shadows in order to avoid being trampled by the anxious war-weary group. Isis shadowed the floating block of ice that she had encased the young mercenary in, pushing men and women out of her path as she made her way to the throne room.

:_I can't lose you yet, you mule headed fool. I've only just found you!_:

The long black shaft that pierced his side yet remained, surrounded by a swirl of frozen blood. Her visor carefully monitored his life signs, telling her to hurry. Small clots of Nobility blocked one corridor, gawking at the young Senshi of Mercury and her four battle-weary escorts. Fresh blood still stained their faces and coursed from minor wounds all along their bodies.

The young peacocks and hens created a human wall of inquisitiveness that impeded the troupe's progress. "Get the hell out of my way, you vultures!" Mercury screamed at them, her eyes flaring with a blue light that dropped the hall's temperature thirty degrees instantly.

The young nobles knew when retreat was considered the better part of valor, and dealing with a bloody, bruised Senshi (albeit a young one) was not something that anyone looked forward to.

"There was no need..." One of the soldiers started to say. His once long, white mane had been chopped haphazardly to become a bloody, matted, gray mess. He looked old and tired, with a wicked cut running down the length of his shivering, right arm.

"Shut up Artemis." Isis' breath came out in a puffed cloud, and her tone seemed to make the room's temperature drop even more.

The other men knew their places and continued to usher their fallen comrade to the presence of their Queen, as they had been commanded. Isis refused to remove her eyes from the handsome man's face in the icy coffin at her side.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**The Queen's personal suite**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S BACK!" Serenity couldn't believe her ears.

Luna cringed against the Queen's onslaught, and quickly tried to explain the situation.

"He was wounded in a border skirmish..." Luna winced even as the words escaped her lips. That was the last thing that you tell a mother about her estranged son.

Serenity's eyes grew heavy with concern; a concern that pushed her from her chambers at break neck speed with her skirts hiked high around her knees.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Serenity's Throne Room**

Pluto waited patiently. Time was a stream that carried the universe in its currents. There was no use worrying about when events would happen. She knew that they just would.

Two doors, on opposite ends of the vast room seemed to blow open simultaneously. From one end, marched a grim procession, while from the other a worried mother that should have known better.

Guards rushed to impede young Mercury, but the icy way their breath froze before their faces warned them off. Or it may have actually been the sharp, cold stare that she pinned each man with that halted their advance. They opened the doors and let her pass, unhindered into the presence of Queen Serenity and her champions. They had learned their lesson well under the tutelage of Chancellor Luna. They still followed the entourage into the Throne Room, just in case.

As the Junior Senshi of Ice stormed into the hall, Pluto raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in young Mercury. Where a bookish, reserved girl had left the Shining Court, a focused, commanding, young woman returned. She closed her eyes and looked into the score of possible futures. It was as her future self had hinted at, but she still had to play her part. The future was a fickle thing at best and had to be handled carefully.

"Have a care, Majesty." Her rich voice called out the warning to the running Queen, causing her to slow her pace. Anyone stupid enough to ignore Sailor Pluto was doomed to folly. "You stand at a crossroads, tread carefully."

Serenity looked at Pluto with an expectant glare, waiting for more information that she knew wouldn't come. But, there was always hope for a first time. The Senshi of Time simply stared back with cool indifference. Serenity shook her head, and resigned herself to a sight that she knew was going to tear her apart. A peace seemed to settle over her as she assumed the mantle of a ruler again.

"Young Mercury…." Her voice rang clearly throughout the Hall, betraying more than a little worry. Sometimes she really hated the acoustics in this place. "You have returned to us early, and bearing the mark of war on you." The soldiers immediately bent their knees to their queen.

She took in each soldier critically gagging their wounds and their faces, committing all to memory before returning her gaze to the young woman. At the sight of Artemis, her eyes widened a bit, but not as much as Luna's did when recognition finally set in.

He had matured it seemed. War tended to do that to a person.

Isis didn't respond right away, engrossed in the readout on her visor. His pulse was dropping more! She frantically began dissolving the ice, hoping to warm his body and get aid for his wound.

"Young Mercury?" Serenity had to remain calm, but the haunted look on the girl's face was rending her apart inside. When she still received no response, she turned her attention to Elder Mercury. The woman nodded and took over control of the situation.

"ISIS!" She called out in her sternest voice. It was a tactic that she hadn't had to use since the girl was five, but it was the only thing that she knew would get through to her. True to form, young Mercury jumped and turned to her mother quickly.

"The Queen has spoken to you, Senshi! What do you have to report?"

Isis grew wide-eyed and curtsied before her liege.

"Softly Hathomet. There is no need to scold your daughter, so." The Queen said, drawing near the melting block of ice. "It is clear that there is a life hanging in the balance."

The young Senshi of Mercury could hold the tears back no longer and crumbled beneath the stress of her first real conflict, and the harsh reality that she might lose her first true love.

"Majesty, please! Is there nothing that you can do to save him?" She pleaded.

Serenity needed no more permission to act. She motioned to Elder Mars to remove the remaining ice from around the young man and moved out of the way so that Saturn could work as well. It was difficult to remove herself from her son's side, but appearances needed to be maintained.

She drew Isis to her, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder as she escorted her away from the crowd.

"Tell me what happened." She said softly. "Why was a diplomatic embassy attacked? Were they bandits or something more?"

Isis looked into her queen's angelic face, anger and hatred welling from deep within her. The change in moods took Serenity back. Isis was the gentlest soul that she knew next to her own daughter. To merit this level of emotion, the news would be grim indeed.

"Lemuria has advanced on Khartur your majesty, and the holy city has fallen to Onyx." Serenity's eyes narrowed to tiny slits as well at the news. "We walked into a trap."

Artemis made himself known then, by angrily breaking the shaft that had moments before been imbedded in the young man's side. The act drew everyone's attention to the Venusian, and from him to the now alert young man sitting and staring about the room. A mop of dark hair topped his roguishly handsome features.

:_So much like his father._: Queen Serenity thought bleakly. She wanted nothing more than to cradle the young man in her arms, but couldn't justify the risk.

He looked around him at the surroundings, and smirked.

"So Pop," he said flippantly. "Did we win?" Luna growled at the broken speech patterns. She had spent twelve years teaching him how to speak properly and in just under three,

Artemis had destroyed all that she had done.

"Artemis..." She hissed dangerously.

Artemis looked up at Luna and shrugged. Aramas turned his gaze from his foster father at the sound of Luna's voice. The boy's eyes lit up in recognition and he was about to speak again, when Artemis took the opportunity to sucker punch the young warrior in the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

There was a collective gasp throughout the room from those that knew who the Venusian had just hit. Eyes slowly found a very calm Serenity clutching her dress until her knuckles had turned white, while trying to reign in her temper.

She knew that he was right in doing so. Luna's wasn't the only wagging tongue that threatened to break. She was on the verge of giving the boy away herself in spite of knowing that there were still spies among her court and her guard. And the moment Onyx found out about Aramas still being alive, chaos would erupt among the Twelve Kingdoms. All because of who the boy was.

The Venusian looked up at everyone with a puzzled look on his face, but directed his comments to Luna.

"What! He needs to rest doesn't he?"

No one in the History of the Silver Millennium had ever witnessed Queen Serenity face-fault before. For Artemis, it had to be one of the funniest things he had ever seen. That was, until he found his way into a dungeon cell for the night.

He was let out in time to see his foster son inducted into the Crescent Guard, even as he himself was given his renewed commission as an advisor to Serenity's throne.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Juuban**

The reactions of the nation were wide and varied. Some, like the exuberant tabloid reporter Hamiachi Suzuja, were joyous at finally being vindicated that the Urban Myth of the Sailor Senshi had been proven at last. Others, such as the JSDF and other government agencies were concerned about the announcement that the green-haired woman with the staff had made. The news media was quick to seek out the local authorities on the Senshi (i.e. Senshi-Otaku) in order to get as much information as possible. Fact wasn't necessarily a high priority at this point, and as such one could imagine the sheer volume of strange stories that were circulating.

However, none of the reactions could have matched those that arose from the various parents of the Inner Senshi. These poor souls had witnessed the scandalous transformations of their daughters on national television and had no idea how to cope with the reality of their baby girls being vigilante super heroines.

Like the esteemed Yuriko Mizuno, Minako Aino's father was incensed that his "Little Princess" was in fact Sailor Venus, the so-called "Senshi of Love." He had watched all of two minutes of a rather slanderous report about why Venus was known as the Senshi of Love (nudge-nudge, wink-wink, you-know-what-I-mean), before calling his lawyer. After getting off the phone with the respectable Mr. Aino, said lawyer danced a jig at the number of lawsuits his firm was going to be heading on behalf of Sailor Venus. And if they played their cards right, perhaps they could convince the other Senshi that the firm was best suited to represent all of their needs.

On the other hand, Minako's mother was sitting on the opposite side of the fence of her husband. She, having always been a fan of Sailor V since their days in London, thought the whole idea of her baby girl fighting for Truth, Justice, and the right to dress in those adorable little skirts was simply keen! While her husband was talking to the family lawyer and grumbling about perverts looking up his daughter's skirt, Minako's mother was on her cellular bragging to all her friends.

In the Tsukino home, things were proceeding much as they were in the Aino home. The main difference being that Usagi's mother, Ikuko, was not bragging to her friends that her daughter was the infamous Sailor Moon. What little pride that was able to filter through all the shock and awe of her Usagi-chan being the "Empress of the Moon," was simply overwhelmed by the sudden realization that there was a reason why her baby girl was doing so poorly at school. Pieces fell into place while her husband, Kenji, paced back and forth yelling into the phone about getting a restraining order against that stalking pedophile who had dogged his daughter for years.

It all made so much sense. She had been worried about her daughter's excessive fatigue, but after finally seeing the reason behind that fatigue, Ikuko wanted to be sick. How many times had her child faced death and danger? How many times had her little girl been forced to make adult decisions, when she should have been worrying about an upcoming English test? Ikuko's eyes drifted to Shingo, measuring and weighing him as if she was seeing her baby boy for the first time. Shingo, for his part, looked up from the television and stared at his mother strangely.

"What?"

"Are you a super hero too?" Ikuko asked in a whisper.

"No."

Ikuko sighed in relief and went to get an aspirin. Shingo just crossed his arms and pouted. At least there was some sanity left to the world. She returned to the livingroom and settled into a chair in front of the television. Shingo's eyes lit up as he watched his sister floating in the skies over the Tokyo Tower.

"Can I be a super hero too?"

"NO!" Both parents screamed.

"Awww, come on! Usagi gets to be one! Why can't I be one too?"

Ikuko and Kenji ignored the question in favor of returning their attention to their various tasks – Kenji to seeing about protecting what was left of his daughter's chastity and reputation, and Ikuko coming to terms that her daughter is now a myth made fact. Shingo returned to pouting.

"I bet I could be a better super hero that, Meatball Head. I mean, if she can do it, how hard can it be?" He snorted and grabbed a cookie from the plate on the coffee table. "And you can bet that I wouldn't flash my boobs at everyone, whenever I transformed either!"

"SHINGO!" The young man cringed.

"What! It's true!" Shingo protested. "It's gross that all my friends had to see my sister naked! I'm never going to live it down!"

"SHINGO!"

As similar and different as things were between the two homes, one thing was certain. Life for Minako and Usagi had just become a whole lot more complicated. When the men in black suits arrived at the Aino and Tsukino doors, the level of complexity multiplied an hundred fold.

Upon receiving the bills for damages incurred during the Senshi battles, both fathers responded predictably.

"USGAI!"

"MINAKO!"

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The Diet 

Tokyo

The Prime Minister just happened to be at the Diet on this day of days, thus when the call came down that there was an emergency meeting of the "Powers That Be," he was in a position to attend without any trouble. When the Emperor joined the conference via video satellite uplink from his hotel in Europe…well, it was apparent that the crap had hit the fan and everyone in positions of power were taking the situation seriously. As well they should.

Not too many governments would have reacted kindly to the idea of a foreign government declaring itself on national soil. No one really had any idea who this "Neo-Serenity" person was, nor did they recognize this "Aramas" character either. Resources were put into play immediately after the announcement of the emergency meeting, and by the time the politicians had gotten past all the traditional posturing, a great deal of information had been dredged up by the National Public Safety Commission and the National Police Agency. Soon after the arrival of the information, faces were put together with names and a brief outline of the major players' lives were laid out for those in attendance.

The Emperor and Prime Minister were astounded at the sheer volume of documentation on the Sailor Senshi, but were downright aghast at the file concerning one "Ranma Saotome." When certain facts and details had come to light concerning Genma Saotome's actions towards his son, the Emperor himself put forth a motion to declare Ranma a national treasure (under the obvious umbrella of martial arts) and suggested that the young man be removed from the Saotome registry in order to ensure his protection from child abuse and exploitation. The NPA named Genma public enemy number one, on the spot, and with the aid of the Ministry of Justice a warrant for his arrest was broadcast to every neighborhood precinct and law enforcement agency in the country.

The M.E.S.S.C (Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture) seconded the Emperor's motion and suggested that the boy's genealogy be done post haste. If they could somehow connect Ranma to the throne in some significant way, then it would be easy to spin this whole "Emperor of the Earth" thing off as a symbolic cultural declaration. The whole "Son of Atlantis" thing was, for obvious reasons, left untouched and forgotten.

The Tsukino girl was a bit trickier to deal with. The M.E.S.S.C. couldn't really find a reason to name her a national treasure. She was cute, but her grades sucked and she didn't really practice any traditional hobbies to push the motion forward. They included her on the family history search, but in the event that she didn't turn up on the radar so-to-speak, the Emperor suggested that she be named Ranma's official fiancée in order to discount the "Empress of the Moon" Statement.

The rest of the Senshi were easily embraced and, in the cases of Ami Mizuno, Michiru Kaioh, and Rei Hino, their names were also put forth to the M.E.S.S.C. for consideration as national treasures as well. Happily, the Hino girl had ties to the government in the form of her father, which would make things a bit easier when tying the Senshi to the coat tails of the Defense Agency. Minako Aino, Makoto Kino, Hotaru Tomoe, and Haruka Tenoh were largely ignored by the M.E.S.S.C. for much the same reasons as the Tsukino girl. Although, both the Tenoh and Aino girls were talented athletes and ear marked for positions on the Olympic volleyball and track teams, should the girls become resistant to the idea of being associated to the government of Japan.

The only Senshi that did not have a dossier was this Sailor Pluto, who had been the one to instigate this whole political mess in the first place. Commentary from both the N.P.A. and the N.P.S.C. made it very clear that no one had ever been able to get any information on the woman. Period. This of course worried the various Ministers and annoyed the Defense Agency to no end. A heated argument erupted between the Defense Agency, the National Public Safety Commission, and the National Police Agency over sloppy work standards and incompetence. The argument escalated to blows between the N.P.S.C. and the Defense representatives, at which the meeting was summarily recessed until tempers could cool.

When the meeting resumed, a number of statements were drafted and sent out to the UN, and other allied government agencies concerning the "official" position of the Japanese government concerning the "Tower Incident." It was being investigated and the findings would be presented to the world at large at the earliest possible convenience. The various news agencies would receive a different draft of the statement, wherein a local media giant would be commended for their creativity and fined a small fee for hosting a promotional event without the proper permits. Even so, the "War of the Worlds" spin was weak when one considers the amount of witnesses to the event, but at the moment it was all the big wigs could come up with on such short notice. It was obvious from the primary reactions of many world governments (damn you CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News!) that the movie angle wasn't going to hold water for too long – especially if the Senshi and the Saotome boy couldn't be controlled. Soon many of those world governments would begin looking at Japan's foreign policy a bit more critically. After all, King of the Earth and Empress of the Moon are some hefty ambitions – even if it's just a movie plot.

Steps were being taken to get as much leverage on these very special children as they could, but even so, there were no guarantees. According to the N.P.S.C., Saotome's mother, and the parents of the Aino and Tsukino girls had already been picked up and escorted to the site of the "Event." If that couldn't "contain" the main players, then it was evident that more drastic steps would have to be taken. Emperor Akihito was appalled at the idea of violence against children, even in spite of everything that these so-called "children" had been able to do.

By the time night evening began to fall over Tokyo, the Powers-That-Be lucked out. The Tsukino girl was indeed a distant cousin, seven times removed from the throne. That wasn't quite good enough for what they had planned, but it would work in the girl's favor at least. Akihito suggested that his eldest son, Naruhito, adopt the Saotome boy and name him his provincial heir. It was by far the highest honor ever given a civilian, but in light of the boy's actions at the Tower there was little doubt that the public would get behind the idea fairly quickly. They could then arrange an omiai with the Tsukino girl and that would settle the whole issue of royal declarations rather nicely. Until the immediate problem of the Senshi could be resolved, the "Youma" issue was tabled for further study and more discussion on another day. The meeting was adjourned and the weighty wheels of Bureaucracy began turning.

Had they waited just a little while longer before releasing their statements to the press, they might have not looked quite so foolish. However, some of their plan was going to remain intact…at least for a while.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

"I remember."

Serenity and Endymion blended their voices harmoniously. For each sound a star was born to light the darkness, and the strength of their love warmed all present.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The Imperial Palace 

The Moon Kingdom

Prince Endymion waited patiently beneath the Princess' balcony in the Clovellan

Garden, named for a stalwart family that had died defending the Queen when she was younger. Tall Attedi hedges blocked the rest of the courtyard from prying eyes, and Stardrops bloomed fragrantly throughout the small, well-tended garden.

The night air was cool against his face, but not unpleasantly so. He had wanted to do this for quite sometime, but had never had the nerve. Had it not been a reliable tip from Aramas, the Prince of Terra would never have known of the Princess' crush.

"Serenity!" He whispered nervously, as loudly as he dared without drawing the attention of the night watch.

The balcony remained dark.

"Serenity!" He tried a little louder, with no more success than before. He thought for sure that she would have at least waited up for him. Particularly after the letter that Aramas had forced him to write, with the help of the Inner Senshi of course.

"She fell asleep twenty minutes ago."

Endymion started at the sound of Aramas' voice above him. The branch of the apple tree that supported the guardsman didn't seem big enough. Nevertheless, Aramas lounged on the limb as if it were a couch or a bed.

"Once her head hits the pillow, nothing short of Pluto's Dead Scream can wake her..." He smiled cattily, and continued. "...Unless you know the secret of course."

Endymion knew that he was walking into some sort of mischief, but for the life of himself, couldn't stop the question from coming.

"What secret?"

Aramas winked playfully, and then stood up casually.

"Watch." He took a deep breath, and to Endymion's utter dismay yelled at the top of his lungs.

"APPLE TARTS! CHOCOLATE CREAM PASTRIES! RASPBERRY ICE! STRAWBERRY PIE! CHOCOLATE CHIP DIAMONDS!"

A contented moan sounded from the room above, as he paused for a breath.

He looked down into Endymion's frantic gaze, with a carefree glint in his eyes. The Prince of Earth cast his eyes about looking for the Night Watch, that any moment would storm the garden and carry them away. Aramas snorted dryly before yelling again.

"SERENITY! YOU'RE LATE!"

There was a screech, and then a cry, followed by a loud "Thump!" from up above. A few very choice, very colorful epitaphs drifted down to Endymion's ears, letting him know that this was not the first time that Aramas had woken the Princess in the middle of the night.

A deftly thrown shoe arced out the window with incredible accuracy to topple Serenity's impish guard. One would think that, after almost two years of service, the two would develop some sort of friendly…or at least cordial relationship. But the heat in Serenity's eyes at that moment was evidence enough for anyone, to see that she loathed her bodyguard.

"ARAMAS! You Cow-kissing sonofa…." Serenity's voice trailed off as she saw Endymion standing beneath the balcony.

The two stared at each other for a long time, neither moving nor saying a word.

It was even hard to breath, for fear of breaking the magic of the moment.

Aramas slipped away silently, far enough to give the two a semblance of privacy, but close enough to protect his charge if the need arose.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Tokyo Tower**

Nabiki had never in her life seen her elder sister in a rage – a temper tantrum yes, angry…sure. But to see Kasumi's temper boiling mad? It was an experience that Nabiki hoped to never, ever, see again. Nothing had been broken, but the threat was there. Nothing had been thrown, but with the way the air was super-charged with emotion nothing had to be. It was a relief to Nabiki and the other guests that the Tendo matriarch insisted they go and avenge Ranma's death. Had they waited just a bit longer, they would have seen that Ranma was anything but deceased, but who in their right mind would want to risk staying in a house with a really, really angry Kasumi.

To be sure, Nabiki was considering going back and weathering her sister's anger, if for no other reason than to escape the cold accusation directed her way by Yoshitsune. Handsome or not, good kisser or not, the man was really starting to get on her already worn nerves. After the first five minutes of their run, Nabiki stopped them and lit into Yoshitsune, explaining in very small but clear sentences that, until she saw a body Ranma Saotome was alive.

Yoshitsune looked ready to defend himself, but rather than acknowledging him at all, Nabiki chose to start running again. The Kenku saw their Huntress returned to them in that moment and gladly followed her, leaving a bewildered Yoshitsune to catch up. Nabiki ignored everything in favor of focusing on the task at hand. She had too much planning to do if they were going to fight.

She was tired of being affected by events; it was time to start taking control of things again.

The main problem she faced at the moment was that her memory was still Swiss cheese. It was a pretty big obstacle to over come, which only made her feel more uncomfortable. This of course made her even more irritable and shortened the fuse on her temper greatly. She knew she had come into contact with these "Rhakshasa" before, but beyond a general sense of foreboding she had no hard knowledge to make use of. She wanted to ask one of the others for more information, but one look at Yoshitsune changed her mind. The idiot was certain to explode if she so much as opened her mouth. Rather than chance the inevitable delay that such a full-scale eruption would no doubt cause, she decided to run.

Once she was on-site she would make her assessments and proceed from there.

So the group ran on in silence, focusing their energies on moving in and out of shadows, dancing over thin power lines, and hitching a ride or two on a train passing their way. Nabiki finally understood the appeal in being able to run the rooftops. There was a sense of freedom to it that one didn't get by walking the sidewalks with everyone else. It was a shift in perspective that brought the world to life. It didn't make her better than everyone else to look down on them from above. It just made her different – different in a good way.

They had almost made it to Azabu Juuban, in record time too, when the Advent occurred. They hear Pluto's voice ringing clearly through the air, announcing the heirs apparent, and Nabiki faltered slightly on hearing the names. Upon learning that Ranma was alive, she shot a smug, if not completely contemptuous, look Yoshi-kun's way. She could feel the irritation and agitation roll off him in waves at being proved wrong…again. She threw him a mental raspberry, earning herself a dark glare for her troubles. The group started their run again, and after only a few steps they were driven to their knees as the Earth itself paid homage to its new king and through him, the new queen of the Moon.

Nabiki had never felt anything quite like it in her life. She had always felt small next to Ranma. It was one of the reasons she used him as a moneymaker when he'd first arrived. It was like tempting Fate. Here was this guy that could have crushed her at any moment he wanted, and yet he didn't. She insisted on pushing the bounds of his patience, not to see if she could get away with it, but rather to validate her own existence. She was only alive when she was courting the danger of crossing the line. Like any high stakes game, it was always a gamble.

It wasn't until Akane had died that Nabiki had finally come to see the stakes for what they truly were. She saw the man behind the boy's eyes. No, that wasn't true. She saw the individual human being, where she had only seen a challenge before. Even then, she had always felt humbled by Ranma Saotome. For all his deep wounds he never gave up. For all the betrayal he experienced, he never stopped seeing the best in people. He was something more than she could ever hope to be, and that was when she truly had fallen in love with the fool. That love was too small for him though. She could see it then, and in light of what she was experiencing now that truth was hammered home all over again with interest.

When the power subsided, and the group was able to move again, they continued to make their way to the Tokyo Tower with all due haste. By the time they arrived, Nabiki was beside herself.

:_Leave it to Ranma to draw a crowd._: The thought drew more than a few chuckles from the Kenku, but Yoshitsune's glare only intensified.

:_Why must you mock him so?_: The human warrior challenged.

Something deep in Nabiki's soul wanted to seize the fool by the neck and toss him over the side of the building for contesting her authority. She was the Huntress, and thus the leader of Mother's children. The more rational side of her was more than a little taken back by the sentiments. Still, there was a balance to be had in the chaos of her conflicting emotions. After all, Nabiki refused to back down from a challenge anymore than Ranma did. She smiled that infuriating, "I-know-something-you-don't-know" smile and simply moved forward. Why bother acknowledging the question of her authority, when her silence established her inherent superiority?

Yoshitsune fumed and tried his best to ignore Nabiki. She was particularly happy to note that he failed miserably.

As Nabiki surveyed the crowd, she noticed a number of JSDF or SWAT personnel poking around the remains of the Rhashasa's impact crater. The demon was little more than a puddle of acidic black poo by now, but that didn't mean it was harmless.

:_Suzume, Tsuru, and Hato-chan. Get those idiots away from the demon-goo and make sure it's dead. The last thing we need is for it to some how regenerate itself or something._: Nabiki wasn't even a hundred percent sure that the monster could do that, but the members of her team nodded their head at her telepathic command and then shot off to follow through.

They did their work quickly and efficiently, empathically calming the high strung, gun-toting men from afar before splitting up. Suzume and Hato-chan jammed the news cameras and when that was finished, Tsuru set about obliterating what was left of the Rhakshasa. Once they were well out of sight, Hato-chan released the magic interfering with the cameras and settled herself beside Nabiki with a satisfied smirk on her face.

The Huntress smiled at her new friend and then looked up at the magical event playing out over her head. She tried to pick Ranma out of the blinding cloud of radiance, with no luck. It was like looking at the sun, only not quite so bright. She looked away and tried to think about what her next move would be. She couldn't fly…yet at least. That essentially meant that she would have to hold onto Ranma's package from Mother until he decided to come down.

:_Great._: She growled. :_Taka. Tsubame-chan. See if you can round us up some eats. This may take a while._:

After handing Tsubame some cash, Nabiki settled down on the edge of the roof they were on to wait. She closed her eyes and let her senses drift. Everything became heightened. She could hear the conversation of a few office ladies in the room beneath her feet, chatting away about the spectacle happening just outside their window. One was of the mind that it was a publicity stunt, while the other felt it was another terrorist attack. Nabiki shook her head and let herself fall farther into her reverie.

She could taste the bitter tang of the polluted air and it made her sick. She could feel the minute curvature of the pattering dancing its way across the surface of the marble brick she was seated on. She could even feel the pulsing of the Earth's heart here, and instinctively knew that this was a planetary artery, or at the very least a "hub" for all that energy that gave the world life.

She followed the lines, tracing their power in and around the area, wondering at their complexity and their depth. It was while following this line that she felt…something else. It was powerful, yes, but it didn't feel like it belonged here. It was something of a sense of déjà vu, wherein she'd felt the power signature before, but now couldn't recognize it for what it was. Rather than waste her time trying to force the memories to come, Nabiki focused the rest of her attention on the smells of ramen and other snacks drawing near.

:_You wouldn't believe it, Huntress!_: Tsubame-chan gushed. :_There's this woman down there yelling up at the Senshi! She claims to be one of their mothers, and has made it clear that whichever one her daughter is, will be grounded for life!_:

Nabiki giggled as she grabbed a bag of Pocky. Washi snorted and shook his head as he scooped up a cup of ramen.

:_Humans are so weird!_:

:_HEY!_: Yoshitsune was less than pleased with the statement.

:_I rest my case._: The chubby little Kenku grinned impishly at the human warrior as he slurped his raman. Nabiki couldn't exactly keep herself from feeling some indignation at the comment, but kept her opinions to herself. After all, Washi was right. Humans were weird.

As the bickering increased, Nabiki did her best to tune them all out by focusing her attention on the weird, foreign energy she felt nearby. She hated mysteries and this sensation was starting to really annoy her.

:_Split up. I feel something weird out there and I want to know what it is before it jumps out and bites us. Report back to me as soon as you have something._:

The Kenku nodded and vanished, leaving Yoshitsune alone with her. She could feel the weight of his eyes on her and it only made her more frustrated. She spun on him angrily.

:_What are you looking at?_:

The handsome man stared at her appraisingly, as if seeing her for the first time. Nabiki felt a growl building in her throat.

:_I'm sorry for questioning your judgment and authority, Huntress._: He bowed low to her. :_It won't happen again._:

The statement shook her for an instant, before she spun away to scan the area below the Tower. Something was there, but due to all the bodies in her way she couldn't see it. She felt Yoshitsune walking away, and a sense of panic gripped her heart. She didn't want to be alone…not with everything spiraling out of control as it was.

:_Stay._: He paused, looking at her from over his shoulder. :_Please stay._:

The man nodded and sat down, propping his back against the small ledge surrounding the building's roof. An uncomfortable silence settled between the pair, but neither seemed capable of breaking the impasse.

:_It's too much, isn't it?_: A feeling of comfort washed over Nabiki at Yoshitsune's words.

:_Yes._:

Before Akane's death, she would never admitted to having such a weakness. She would have plowed through with cold calculating efficiency until she got a handle on things. But now, with everything coming apart at the seams…what was the use in hiding form the truth?

:_I can't say that I understand what you're going through completely, but I can appreciate the struggle to avoid being drowned by it all._:

:_How so?_: Nabiki couldn't keep the curiosity at bay as she settled herself next to the man.

:_I was born into Minamoto clan in the year 1159 of the current calendar._:

:_Whoa! You're telling me that you are Yoshitsune Minamoto? _The_ Yoshitsune Minamoto?_:

:_Yes. Now please do not interrupt._:

The man sighed and scratched his head, as if trying to remember what he had been saying.

:_I grew up during a time of constant struggle, fighting to protect my people from those that would destroy them and avenge myself against the Taira clan for the murder of my father. I had scarcely escaped my imprisonment when I chanced upon a mountain road. I traveled for the better part of the day until I came up a crossroads where I met a chubby little monk. I sat with him for a long while and in order to pass the time together, I took to practicing my art. He saw that I was seeking to perfect my skills and myself and, upon learning the reason behind my tireless work, he invited me to follow him._:

Yoshitsune's eyes took on a faraway look as he stepped back into the past.

:_I was led to the Kenku, an offshoot of the Tengu tribes, who found me worthy to train under them. They gave me the skills I needed to protect my people, and in turn I passed those skills on to others. Once I was certain that those I cared for would not fall to the warlords of the day, I returned to the Kenku for further training._:

:_But I thought you committed suicide, when your allies betrayed you._: Nabiki said.

:_History is a fickle thing, Tendo-san. Yes I was defeated, yes I was betrayed, and yes my family died. But after my 'death,' I woke in a familiar grove on the slopes of Mt. Kurama. The Kenku saved me and convinced me that there were greater battles to fight. So, I consented to stay among them and continued to learn their arts. At first I thirsted for vengeance against those that had wronged me, but soon I was too caught up in the wonders they were teaching me to bother with my enemies. Five hundred years passed in the blink of an eye and, by the time I realized it, the world and people I had known were gone. I wandered the world for a long time after that, and eventually stumbled upon Mother's Grove._:

He snorted and shook his head.

:_What?_:

:_I don't think that "stumbled" is the correct word. It's probably better to say that I was led to Mother's Grove._:

:_Why?_:

Yoshitsune shrugged.

:_At the time, I couldn't tell you. It might sound boastful, but looking back on things now, I would have to say that I had a part to play in the events that shaped this world. Mother showed me the past, and told me of the future. From that day forward I pledged myself to Aramas Drumheller, and have been waiting for his return._:

:_So, he's like…what? Your Shogun?_:

:_You could say that._: He smiled.

:_So why follow me then? Why bow to my authority?_:

:_Because you are the Huntress, the Champion of the Earth, Avatar of the Fey._: When Nabiki cocked her head in confusion, he sighed. :_You are tied to Aramas, and therefore I am honor bound to serve you._:

:_How am I tied to Ranma? Are you talking about that stupid engagement?_:

Yoshitsune bowed his head, and before he could close himself off completely Nabiki felt a sense of sadness and longing flash through his thoughts.

:_No. Although, that pact is indeed a worthy reason._: He looked at her seriously for a moment before continuing. :_I expected your memories to fill in these gaps._:

:_Sorry, but right now you could probably drive a train through some of the gaps in my head._:

The man's face was troubled for a moment before softening.

:_In time I'm sure that everything will even itself out. Perhaps by talking a bit more about your greater role and events of the past will help._: He paused and tapped his chin. :_The Kenku told me of the Great Covenant, a pact between the Elder Races and the children of the Earth. You are a representative of that Covenant._:

Nabiki looked on with undisguised interest, unwilling to speak or interrupt.

:_As it was told to me, the Elder Races grew tired of their lives. They had reached a plateau of sorts and could not progress any further as they were. There were no more wars to fight, no more secrets to uncover, and no more places to explore. They called upon the Dam Turiel, the First Ones, and asked them for aid. In response to that call, a race with limitless potential was created from the ashes of the Cosmos. The Dam Turiel named the new race "humanity" – which was their word for progress, or something closely related to the concept. Mother couldn't explain it to me any better than that._:

Nabiki nodded and urged him to continue.

:_Some of the Elder Races locked away their memories, in favor of experiencing the world side by side with humanity. These were the Horus of Mercury, the Ley people of Venus, the Ulhuld of Mars, and the Earth's children, the Fey._

:_The rest of the Elder Races thought this decision foolish and simply decided to watch from afar. But the temptation to get involved in the affairs of men was too great, and soon the Elder Races were warring with each other for direct control over humanity. That was when the Dam Turiel laid down the Covenant. They came in with a vengeance, putting the Elder Races in their place. In the eons that followed, the Covenant was drafted and artifacts were set in place to keep the peace._:

:_What did the Covenant say, exactly?_: Nabiki felt a twinge in her memory at the mention of the pledge, but nothing specific.

:_Each of the Elder Races was permitted one champion, who would represent their interests among humanity. These people were called Avatars, and were tasked to teach the children of man to harness their potential. These Avatars would also espouse the tenants of the Elder Race they represented and act as guardians of humanity against exploitation. In order to ensure that the balance of power was maintained, the Dam Turiel watched over the Covenant for a long time. It wasn't until the birth of the Gold Millennium that they felt their attention was needed elsewhere._:

:_What happened after they left?_: Nabiki questioned.

:_All was well for a long time, until the more chaotic of the Elder Races began abusing their power. Their Avatars sought to subjugate humanity, and wars once again broke out among the Elder Races. It was during this time that the first of Queen Serenity's ancestors rose up and fought. She was the daughter of a Dam Turiel father and a human mother, and with the aid of her companions she sought out the Guinzuisho to become the Avatar of the Dam Turiel. She brought peace to the Earth, and banished the darkest of the Elder Races from interacting with humanity with the aid of the other kingdoms. But for all the newly formed Council of Twelve Kingdoms had accomplished, she felt that it wouldn't last forever. She passed the Guinzuisho on to her eldest child at her death, a daughter she named Serenity, and charged her to be the new Avatar of the Dam Turiel._

:_Serenity lived for many years on the Earth, serving humanity in concert with the other Avatars. But soon, the Earth grew too crowded to sustain life; and so Serenity and the other Avatars led their followers to the stars to colonize their own worlds and live according to their own designs._:

:_The Silver Millennium, right?_: Nabiki looked up at Ranma thoughtfully.

:_The beginning of it at least. In those days, everyone was very long lived. Serenity herself was nearly five thousand years old when the Moon Kingdom fell._:

:_So where do I fit in?_: Nabiki's long ears twitched nervously.

:_Ahbrim Ur was the Avatar of the Fey before you, and served well until the destruction of Atlantis. After his fall from favor, the Earth chose another._:

:_Me._:

:_You._:

:_But why can't I remember any of this? I mean, if I'm supposed to be this great Avatar, then why is my memory feel like a fishnet?_:

Yoshitsune just shrugged.

:_Who knows? Perhaps the Fey, don't want the Huntress to champion them. Perhaps they want Nabiki Tendo._:

Nabiki looked at him through narrowed eyes.

:_That makes no sense! Why in the world would they want the Ice Queen of Furinkan?_:

Yoshitsune grinned.

:_Ask Mother the next time you visit, maybe she can shed some light on that question for you._:

:_I'll do that._: Nabiki growled. She would have said more, but Hato-chan returned agitated and out of breath. They were on their feet in an instant.

:_Trouble?_: Yoshitsune didn't bother looking at the young Kenku girl. His eyes were already scanning the rooftops.

Hato-chan nodded her head and brushed her hand against her beakish nose, trying to calm her breathing enough to speak. Luckily telepathy didn't require breathing to get the message across.

:_One set of unknowns and one set of really big nasties._: She pointed down into the crowd where Nabiki had felt the strange power, and then off to the north.

:_Rhakshasa?_: Yoshitsune loosened his sword and rolled his neck.

:_Yes. A sizable group, but they seem content to just watch the show._:

:_Where you seen?_: Nabiki felt the panic already settling into a nice ball in the pit of her stomach.

:_No. But they could feel us. One ugly bugger was looking straight at Tsuru's position, but the leader wouldn't let him leave. He got pretty violent on the ugly one to make sure everyone stayed put._:

:_And the other group?_: Nabiki looked down into the milling crowd anxiously.

:_A small group of Horus, led by one of their royalty._: Hato-chan looked skyward. :_Makes sense really, what with Mercury coming out of the woodwork and all. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other races didn't show up to say 'hi' to their Senshi before the day's done._:

:_Who, or what are the Horus?_: Nabiki asked evenly. She really hated not knowing things like this. :_Weren't they one of the Elder Races that decided to seal their memories away?_:

:_Yes._: Yoshitsune said. :_There weren't very many of them, but since they were effectively immortal their numbers didn't matter all that much. They inspired the myths of the Phoenix throughout Egypt and Asia._:

Nabiki spun on Yoshitsune, her eyes narrowed and a very, very cold rage building behind them.

:_What did you say?_:

:_They inspired legends about the immortal Phoenix._: The male warrior and his female companion took an involuntary step back as Nabiki's gaze hardened even more.

:_What else do you know about them?_:

:_The majority of the race was lost long before the end of the Moon Kingdom, and no one really knows what happened to them._:

Hato-chan paused in her explanation long enough to look at Yoshitsune worriedly.

:_Those few that survived established a colony here on Earth, in what have become Egypt and the Middle East. During the last war of the Silver Millennium, they were driven into hiding._:

:_I thought you said they were immortal._:

:_They are, but when they are killed some have been known to revert to an infant state. The Rhakshasa capitalized on this and took these weaker Horus and…changed them. Those that did not revert to infancy voluntarily destroyed themselves rather than be tortured by the Rhakshasa the rest of their lives. They were the main reason the demons were defeated here on the Earth. It's also why you have so many major deserts like the Sahara and the Gobi._:

:_So we have a number of Horus sitting in the crowd down there?_: Hato-chan nodded. :_Describe their leader for me. Does he have a name?_:

:_Saffron…I think. Washi would know. He had more contact with them than I did._:

As Hato-chan spoke, Nabiki felt the cold anger she had been feeling grow in leaps and bounds. Tears coursed down her cheeks at the thought of her sister's killer sitting just below her. The only thing keeping her in check was the knowledge that there were too many innocents between her and her target. If she acted now, in the heat of the moment, then people would die.

She pounded her fist onto the hard granite of the building's ledge, crumbling a large section of it to powder.

:_I will have this Saffron's head._: Her mental voice was crisp and hard like ice. Yoshitsune placed his hand on her shoulder.

:_Nabiki?_:

She shrugged out of his grasp and whirled on him, baring her teeth in a feral display of barely contained fury.

:_He killed my baby sister! He stole her life, and put Ranma through a living hell!_:

She spun away again, focusing her full attention on the crowd where she felt the Horus' power coming from. The animalistic growl she'd been keeping in check, finally found voice.

:_That monster and all who follow him are my enemies. The rest of you can do as you will, but me…I plan on seeing how long the bastard can live without his head!_:

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Beneath Nabiki's perch, Soun and Genma skirted the crowd looking for a way past the many barricades and security check points. They didn't notice or care about the bright star of magic floating above their heads, or the announcement about some silly foreign rulers. Their attention was highly focused on one thing and one thing only: get in, get Ranma, and get out.

They tried to ignore the cold shivers they got whenever they made eye contact with the men in black suits and sunglasses. Genma had suggested that they do their best to avoid those men altogether, but it seemed that where ever the skulking pair went, they frequently ran across the imposing men. It was unnerving to say the least, which made their progress, slow and tedious.

By the time they made it past all of the checkpoints, both men were sweating bullets. This was by far the most difficult raid they had ever been on, and had the dreaded master been watching, he might have actually complimented them on their stunning performance. Thankfully Happosai was no where to be found; although, the little old perv might have been an ideal if not welcome distraction right at that moment.

Soun and Genma slapped each other for even thinking something so perverse. From then on out, they kept looking over their shoulders, half expecting the bastard to appear out of thin air. If Genma had been paying more attention, he might have avoided an equally painful Fate. Sadly, he bumped into some crazy woman shouting into a megaphone. When he looked up to murmur his apology, all he saw were a pair of very scary eyes staring back at him. He tried to escape, but in his haste he tripped over Soun. Both scrambled for cover on hands and knees, but found their way blocked at every point by the forbidding men in black suits.

When had they been surrounded? The disciples of Happosai hugged each other and screamed – a reaction that only intensified when the crazy woman with the megaphone caught up to him.

"GENMA SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!"

The brutal beating lasted a very long time, and outclassed anything the men had ever received under the torturous reign of the master. Soun was driven into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness early on, leaving Genma to withstand the full brunt of the woman's wrath. The Saotome patriarch cursed his manly stamina and endurance up until and after the point he heard the woman scream: "VOLCANO KICK!"

He took the kick between the goal posts, which made his eyes cross and water. He looked up at the impassive forms of the black suited men, and wondered why they were allowing this unjust beating to occur. He couldn't make out more than a few of the woman's inarticulate ranting – something about cats, a girl, his son, and Nodoka. All in all, this entire affair reminded him of his childhood and growing up under the tender mercies of his beloved (shiver) sisters. Genma shied away from those memories, preferring the agony he was currently experiencing to the agonies of the past.

Oh, yes. He would avoid the past at all costs.

The unbearable pain continued up until the woman cried out in a final bout of rage, executing the worst attack yet. He had no idea what the "Mizuno Stomp" was, or what part of his body it hit, but the pain it caused sent him spiraling into the wonderful darkness of oblivion.

Beyond that Genma felt nothing and was thankful for it.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Ranma floated in the sweet stillness of a black void. Literally thousands of images surged through his confused mind. Visions of a life long past, and the fresher scars of nightmares from this life that had yet to fade. But above all, one moment of pain stood out above all the rest.

"I remember."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The Moon Kingdom 

A violent wind howled with the force of a hurricane, threatening to flay the skin from his bones. The smell of smoke assaulted his nose, searing his lungs.

The Plain of Del Aran was laden with the bodies of the dead. The Sea of Clouds was an angry crimson for as far as the eye could see, from the amount of blood that was leaking into its once clear waters.

Beryl had surprised them.

No. That wasn't true. She had caught them with their pants down around their ankles. The attack was executed flawlessly as Endymion's traitorous bastards struck hard and fast all but killing the royal family in the initial assault.

The Crescent Guard pushed the enemy back, keeping them at bay until the Senshi could teleport back to the Palace, but all pretense of returning home died for the Guard when the fourth and fifth waves of troops had landed on the beach. A part of Aramas hoped that Isis had taken him seriously when he told her to kill Endymion the first chance she got. If his men were compromised, then chances were that he had been too. Another part of Princess Serenity's Guardsman prayed that his lover hadn't listened, so that Aramas could tear the Earth Prince to shreds.

Aramas needed to somehow survive this nightmare, just so he could see the look on Endymion's bloody face when the coward received his dues. This of course was easier said than done, even for someone of Aramas' caliber.

Three days of tireless battle had nearly depleted his reserves and yet, as the enemy pushed the survivors within sight of the capital, a bloodlust had settled over him. The ferocity of his attacks rallied his comrades, and put the fear of God into the feeble hearts of Beryl's troops. The rout lasted for all of an hour, but it was more than enough time for some of the Senshi to return to the field and bolster the defender's flagging ranks and their morale.

Ilsbeth and Tethys unleashed the fury of Uranus and Neptune, and Shemue brought a small host of dragons to bear. The Sons and Daughters of Jupiter called down a storm of fire and magic that rent the Dark Host viciously; chief among them was Shevat of the Nine Seas, Avatar of the Dreaming Lands, riding out of the shadow of Terra on the back of her lover, Ximadnea, laying waste to an entire legion of Rhakshasa as she passed.

But it was not enough. Anyone could see that plainly. For every enemy to fall, three more took its place. Yet he still fought on. He felt someone familiar guarding his back as wave after wave of dark shadows assaulted him from the front. Each assailant fell by the wayside, generating a mountain of bodies to either side of him.

He had been fighting for days now. She only hours. He had no idea how he continued to lift his arms, let alone bring a killing blow to bear. All that he knew was that the Palace was behind him, and that they were progressing unerringly inward, toward the woman that he had sworn blood oath to protect.

Someone else would have to be her shield now. Narya probably. A tired smirk grew on his lips at the thought of the Princess of Mars. If anyone would see that Endymion was dealt with, it was the fiery tempered Narya. She had always been there for Serenity when Aramas could not be. Another wave rose up against him, and another wave was destroyed before they could close on him. In spite of that, he could still feel his death approaching.

Fatigue weighed too heavily on all the defenders, and he knew that they couldn't keep the battle going indefinitely. His partner was already beginning to slow in her attacks; he could hear her grunt every time one of her enemies landed a glancing blow.

Their foes seemed endless. He had lost count after his one-thousandth opponent fell, two days ago. His beloved had killed as many, if not more, in the short time she had been fighting with him. And yet they still came. He stopped thinking as a hideous tentacled monster bombarded his defenses from every possible angle. Two blinding thrusts with his blade dispatched the monster, and he quickly looked for the next opponent.

The enemy simply stood its ground, encircling the pair of defenders. Blast! When had they cut them off from the rest of the retreating forces? This was bad. The demonic, grinning maws mocked what little hope left in his heart, and had he been another man Aramas would have simply laid down died there.

At the very least he would be at peace.

His eyes burned for the need to sleep, and the temptation to give up was there. Aramas squared his shoulders and shook off the exhaustion. He had Isis to worry about, and wasn't about to let her come to harm. They would have to cut a path through to the Palace if they wanted to get out of this alive. He had to get her out of this.

She had to live.

He turned to his lover, to apprise her of their plight and his plan. The sight that greeted him would haunt him to his grave; a grave that was fast approaching it seemed.

She stood with her back to him. Four gargantuan black arrows protruded from her legs and upper arms. Blood flowed freely from the wounds, and her head carried a nasty purple bruise above the right temple. Gods of Heaven and Earth! How was she still standing? He had never heard her cry out once.

He wanted to cry out as she broke off the shaft of each arrow. There were similar wounds in other places, and he was aghast at how many times she'd been hit while protecting his back. The look in her eyes made his heart swell with pride. She would sell her life dearly for her love – the man that she had desperately wanted to be her husband.

:_I should have married her._: The thought floated across his consciousness like a ghost, filling his heart with guilt.

He had loved her more passionately than he had ever loved anyone before, and in this one little declaration he had failed her. They were supposed to have more time, damn it all! He needed more time!

She spared him a smile. It was to be her last gift to him.

The enemy took the opening, firing a volley of arrows at them. Ranma screamed his warning and flung himself toward his love, but he was too late. A shield of ice came up, deflecting the shower of death, but five magically charged arrows pierced the frozen wall and punctured her chest, knocking her to the ground with a grunt. She was alive, but still refused to cry out notwithstanding the pain that twisted her features into such a horrible mask.

:_Good girl! Don't give them the satisfaction!_: Tears welled in his eyes at the sight of her agony. He could feel his heart break at her bravery as he blindly knocked arrow after arrow from the air before him. She began to cough blood as he knelt at her side, his sword flashing out unconsciously killing anything that drew too near. He sobbed as she smiled up at him; her white teeth were stained crimson. His heart shattered and he shook his head denying the inevitable. He gathered her into his arms, holding her against the coming Silence. His chest and throat constricted, as if someone had wrapped his torso and throat in bands of steel, making it hard for him to breath. He couldn't even force sound out of his mouth for lack of breath.

"…Live…for…meeehhhhh…."

As her last breath drifted from her lungs, he clutched her body close one last time. He kissed her, savoring the sweetness of her lips – doing his best to ignore the coppery taste of her blood. And then she was gone. A great sob wracked his body again, destroying him where all other assaults could not harm him. Grief welled up within him, scouring his soul. His forehead burned, and the elements echoed his screams. The power found him then, and it was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. He clung to it, just as he clung to the body of his one true love. Release came when he could no longer hold the energies back, and then the world went white as he screamed her name.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

"ISIS!"

Ranma woke up to a crowd of worried people. His head throbbed and everywhere he looked there were familiar faces that he was sure he'd never seen before. Everything was blurry and chaotic, and he gripped his head forlornly against the pain. The last few hours felt like a dream to him – a terrible, frightening dream. He closed his eyes against the glare of the setting sun, trying to get a handle on things.

He knew he'd gone cat, but this time around he was clearly remembering what had occurred during his submersion into the Neko-ken. As events and memories started to fall into place, his eyes shot open again searching but not finding the young woman he'd been protecting.

"AMI-CHAN!"

He felt a pair of soft hands began stroking his shoulder and cheek, immediately soothing his dread. He looked behind him and blushed when he realized that he had been lying in Ami's lap all along. Her mother was beside Ami, looking at her daughter with an expression that alternated between extreme concern and barely checked disapproval. Ranma ignored the woman, in favor of inspecting Ami for injuries. The young genius blushed crimson under his scrutiny.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded and smiled demurely.

"Good." He stretched his neck trying to work out the stiffness. "I take it I won."

To his relief, she nodded again.

"You always win, Saotome."

Ranma's eyes bulged at the sound of Nabiki's voice and immediately began hunting for her in the sea of faces. She was nowhere to be found. Some flew out of the air at him from the right, and he immediately knocked it to the ground at his feet. It landed with a dull, heavy "thud," causing a small cloud of dust to billow up and make him sneeze. He looked at the blue cotton shirt for a long moment before picking it up. Something metallic clanked inside the bundle, prompting Ranma to unwrap the shirt.

He could only stare in awe at the heavy golden bracers that were revealed. Even to his very limited understanding of monetary worth, the bracers were beyond priceless. They were etched with odd markings that made him feel a deep sense of satisfaction and pride. It was the same feeling he got when he won a particularly tough battle, or mastered a challenging new technique. These were his, and he knew that he had earned them through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. The familiar face of a regal woman flashed in his memory, and everything came rushing back to him: Aramas, Isis, Princess Serenity, the Silver Millennium…everything.

Ranma felt overwhelmed again, and immediately began hunting for something that wasn't connected to the insanity of the distant past. He needed something from the life of Ranma Saotome, to reaffirm his identity. He needed to see Nabiki's familiar face. Yet, no matter how hard he searched the crowd for his dear friend, he only saw expressions of awe on the familiar faces of the strangers before him.

"Mother sends you her best, Drumheller. Now, I'm going home for a nice long soak. Call me when you get a minute, eh Ranma? We need to talk." He tried pushing through the crowd as her voice drifted further and further away, but by the time he'd cleared it, Nabiki was gone.

The weight of the day came crashing down on him, leaving the poor fellow dazed and confused until a comforting arm slipped around his waist – giving him the much needed support he was seeking. He looked down into Ami's beautiful eyes and found something deep and abiding looking back at him. It was a love he remembered from a life lived ten thousand years in the past.

"Are you going to be okay, Ranma?"

Ranma. He could have kissed this beautiful young woman for her kindness then and there, in front of her mother and the crowd of curious bystanders. In spite of everything they experienced today, and in spite of the insanity the future promised to bring, she called him Ranma. Not Aramas, not Drumheller, not your Majesty…just Ranma. He lightly touched her cheek and nodded to appease the worry. It was obvious that she was fighting a losing battle with the blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. To Ranma's eyes, it only made her more beautiful.

"Ranma?"

Her voice was quiet, a whisper meant just for him. He could hear the unspoken question, and Ami seemed to struggle with the need to know where she stood in his eyes. Would he love her as Aramas loved Isis, or was the past truly dead and gone? He didn't know and tried to silently ask her to wait for a better time. She looked disappointed for a moment, but smiled, nodded, and patted his arm softly.

Ranma sighed with obvious relief, but still felt like a first class jerk for disappointing her. He massaged his throbbing temples and closed his eyes against the growing migraine that was already building behind his eyes.

"Saotome-san?"

Ranma looked up tiredly to see a tall man in a sharply pressed black suit and sunglasses towering over him. The man's threat level was negligible to one of Ranma's caliber but in his current condition, the young martial artist knew the guy would wipe the floor with him. Two more guys came up on either side of the man, causing Ami to grip Ranma's arm tightly. He slipped his hand over her to let her know that everything would be okay before answering the man.

"Who wants ta know?"

"Special Operative Soske Amagara. Office of Domestic Defense, National Public Safety Commission."

The man bowed and then flashed a badge, complete with picture identification and everything. Ranma couldn't get a good look at the credentials, but the practiced ease that the man employed in the gesture just screamed "Government Spook" to the young martial artist. He'd run into one or two like this one on his trip with Genma, and they'd always made the old man nervous. Seeing them here wasn't a good sign in Ranma's book. His eyes narrowed as even more guys arrived on the scene.

"Yeah. I'm Ranma Saotome. What do you want?"

The man stepped back and motioned a shorter, nerdy looking gentleman forward. The man's eyes kept darting from Ranma to the crater where the Rhakshasa had landed and back again. Sighing, the young Saotome crossed his arms over his chest, but made no other move to upset the nervous man. A small business card seemed to materialize in the smaller man's shaking hand, which Ranma took and immediately passed to Ami without once glancing at it. Ami gasped and bowed deeply, not letting go of his arm once. Ranma went with the motion, sketching his own hasty bow, which seemed to put the man at ease.

"Is Tsukino-san present as well?" Usagi squeaked from somewhere behind Ranma and to his left, but the young martial artist chose to keep his eyes on the men in black suits rather than look back. "Good. Good. This works out well. Please come forward Tsukino-san."

As Usagi moved forward, so too did the Outer Senshi. Sailor Pluto stepped in front of the young queen shielding Usagi from the government men. Had Ranma not shot her a dark look she would have stepped in front of him as well.

"Oh, dear. Uhm, I…"

The little man's eyes tracked up from Pluto's shoes, taking in her full, and in that moment, very imposing figure. It was clear that the closest the government representative had ever been to a woman of Sailor Pluto's…stature, was through a magazine, a sordid fantasy, or less than moral video. Trembling fingers handed Pluto another business card, which caused one meticulously sculpted eyebrow to rise slightly. She glanced at the card, seemingly unfazed by its contents before passing it back to Usagi. The young woman took one look at the card and quietly "eeped" before handing it over to Neptune, trying all the while to look as regal and nonplussed as the Senshi of Time. Most would later say that she did a superb job, considering the day she'd had.

The card silently made the rounds, with varying degrees of surprise and discomfort, as Pluto stared down at the sweating official with her piercing crimson eyes. Ranma envied the stately woman's cool and collected presence in light of the growing government presence. Everywhere he looked the young martial artist saw another suit, or someone in tactical military gear, staring intently their way. It made Ranma's skin crawl.

"What can we do for you, Umasho-san?" Sailor Pluto asked evenly.

The man reached into his coat, causing Neptune, Uranus, and Ranma to immediately fall into defensive postures. Pluto stepped back shielding her queen, causing all the other Senshi excluding Ami, to crowd around Usagi. This caused every visible black suit to slip their hands into their jackets to grab the firearms that were most assuredly strapped there. Umasho-san disappeared behind a wall of black, and could be heard whimpering.

Tension in the area spiked, and the sound of weapons being readied brought Saturn to the center of the huddled Senshi. Ami's mother tried to say something, but no sound came out. For her part, Ami found herself completely covered by Ranma's body, and no matter how hard she tried to move around him, he seemed to anticipate her. It was the proverbial "Mexican Standoff" until Usagi quietly and calmly demonstrated that even without the white gown, she was royalty.

"Senshi, please."

No other words seemed necessary. The Senshi relaxed, causing the tactical teams to relax. Most of the black suits relaxed, with the exception of the man facing off against Ranma. The two were made of stone, neither moving at all. Ami went to pull Ranma away, but Usagi beat her to the punch. The blonde girl simply laid her hand on his forearm, and Ranma's posture immediately relaxed. Special Operative Soske Amagara trembled a bit as his hand left his jacket, causing Ranma to smirk inwardly.

"I apologize for the misunderstanding, Umasho-san."

Usagi bowed from her place beside Ranma as the little man poked his head out from behind the slowly dispersing wall of bodies. He held two, rather large and ornate, envelopes in his shaking hands; and his eyes were filled with fear. Usagi, seeing this, slowly took his hands in her own and drew his gaze to her smiling face.

"Please, continue." Her soft voice melted the remaining tension from the air completely. Umasho-san visibly took hold of himself and reclaimed his professionalism.

"Ahem. Saotome-san, Tsukino-san, I have been instructed by his Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, to extend an invitation to you and your families to dine at the Palace tomorrow evening." He passed the envelopes into Ranma's and Usagi's hands and waited for their response.

"Please tell his Majesty that I would be honored to share his table." Usagi bowed smoothly, much to the astonishment of her Senshi (particularly Mars). All eyes then turned to Ranma expectantly.

The silence grew very heavy and long, before Ranma scratched the back of his neck. Ami tugged on his sleeve urgently, causing him to bend to hear what she had to say.

"What?" He whispered.

"Say 'yes,' Silly." She couldn't hide her smile.

"Uhm…. Yes?" Ami nudged him with her hip. "I mean…uh, uhm…what she said." Ranma hooked his thumb towards Usagi and smiled sheepishly.

Ami wasn't the only one that giggled as Umasho-san frowned slightly. He bowed deeply to Usagi and Ranma, and then backed away five steps before turning away and walking towards the barricades. Ranma watched him carefully pull out a white handkerchief and dab the sweat from his forehead. Every once in a while, he would steal a glance at Sailor Pluto – who seemed oblivious to his attention.

Ranma handed his white envelope to Ami and ran his fingers through his grimy hair. Man! What he wouldn't do for a bath! He started to turn back to the Senshi, when he noted that Special Operative Amagara and the suit brigade had yet to disperse.

"There somethin' else you need?" He knew it came out rudely, but darn it! He was tired, filthy, and had a headache. Why couldn't these jokers leave him the hell alone? Ranma's question drew the attention of the rest of the group back to the situation at hand.

"We have some questions about today's events that need to be answered."

"Dude! Can't this wait until tomorrow?" Ranma grumbled. He plucked at what was left of his school uniform and then rubbed his temples.

"I'm afraid not, Saotome-san. There is also a matter of one, Genma Saotome, that we would like your help in clearing up."

"Aww, damnit Pops!" Ranma kicked a loose piece of asphalt.

"I didn't do anything!"

Ranma looked back at the unfamiliar voice, and saw a well-known white haired man. The dark haired woman next to him punched the man in the arm hard enough to stagger him.

"Not you, Artemis!"

Ranma ignored the rest of the by-play, in favor of focusing on Special Operative Amagara again.

"So. What did the fat tub of lard do this time?"

"I am afraid that I am not at liberty to discuss that matter with you here, Saotome-san. My superiors have arranged to take your statements at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices. If you and your friends will accompany us, have transportation standing by to escort you to Shinjuku."

"And if we choose to decline your offer?" Pluto asked.

"I am afraid that this is not to be construed as an offer open for negotiation, Pluto-san. It would be in the best interests of all parties concerned to cooperate fully. The parents of Tsukino-san and Aino-san, as well as Saotome-san's mother and Hino-san's grandfather have been collected to join you in your 'debriefing,' per the legal statutes governing the questioning of minors."

This sparked an explosion of chatter among the Senshi. Venus was shocked that her parents now knew, Mars was shocked that the government knew she was a Sailor Senshi, and Usagi looked downcast at the thought of her parents being dragged into this whole mess. The only person not talking was Ranma, and it was noted that the temperature around him had dropped several degrees at the mention of his mother joining him for "debriefing" or whatever they wanted to call it.

Special Operative Soske Amagara suddenly realized that he had just crossed a line he shouldn't have, and silently cursed his superiors for being stupid enough to try and strong-arm people that could shred steel without even touching it. The magical girls were one thing. After all it was difficult to take someone that fought in a skimpy skirt seriously. This guy though….

Soske shivered involuntarily at the cold flat look in Ranma's eyes.

No one saw Ranma move. One moment he was standing still, then in the next he had lifted Amagara-san completely off the ground and was holding the man's gun. The clip was released and the chambered bullet was ejected before any of Amagara's associates could draw their weapons. By the time Ami and Usagi got involved, Ranma had put the fear of God in the man by slightly bending the barrel of the gun against his hip.

The girls tugged on Ranma's arm with little luck, and their calming voices did very little to soothe the young man's anger. He simply stared at Amagara long and hard. More guns were cocked and a number of photographers took the opportunity to snap a multitude of pictures. Ranma didn't bother to lower his voice when he spoke to the man. The message was directed to every government official gathered in the crowd, or watching the events play out on television.

"You threaten my family or the families of my friends again, I swear you'll live to regret it. Are we clear?"

Amagara nodded once but Ranma continued to hold the man aloft, making certain that he understood how serious the young martial artist was. The impasse would have gone on longer, had Ami not stepped forward and diffused some of Ranma's anger.

"It will be okay Ranma. You'll see." She slowly rubbed his back in a way that Isis had done, to comfort Aramas in times of stress. "Let's just go and answer their questions, then we'll go have dinner with the Emperor tomorrow. Alright?"

Ranma's eyes narrowed at Amagara dangerously, and then he tossed the man into the waiting arms of the rest of the gathered suits. Without waiting for anyone else, Ranma stomped off a ways in order to regain some of his lost control. Ami followed him, gently draping her arm over his shoulders when Ranma squatted just beyond the hearing range of the Senshi and the suits.

"Thanks, Ami-chan."

"You're welcome, Ranma-kun." She ran her hand in circles along his upper back and shoulders, helping ease the tension away.

"I didn't mean to do that."

"I know."

"I mean, anyone with any sense could hear the bastard's hanging threat. But that doesn't give me the right to beat the crap outta the guy!"

Ranma felt Ami's hand stop completely, only to be replaced by her arms enveloping his upper torso.

"Listen to me." Her voice was calm, yet insistent. "You did nothing wrong. You reacted to the threat, yes. You demonstrated your serious willingness to protect your mother and our families. No one can fault you for defending those that you love from unjust men."

Ranma looked into her beautiful, smiling face and sighed.

"I guess you're right."

Ami giggled.

"Of course I'm right, Silly. I'm the number one Juku-student in the nation! Why wouldn't I be right?"

Ranma stared at her for a moment and then laughed. Ami joined him after a moment and then, in a surprising display of public affection, kissed him on the cheek. Ranma's laughter died as he placed a hand over her kiss.

"What was that for?" He asked reverently. Ami blushed beet red.

"For protecting my Mom."

"What about for protecting you?" Ranma couldn't stop the words from slipping out and cringed, waiting for the hammer to fall. All he felt were Ami's fingers trailing down the side of his cheek. She leaned in close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath against his ear lobe.

"Ask me again when there aren't so many cameras around."

Ranma watched Ami's retreating figure return to her mother's side, and blushed crimson. She seemed to have an added sway to her hips that made it seem like she was gliding over the ground, rather than walking.

If the situation weren't so serious, Ranma would have allowed himself to pass out. As it was, Ami had to lead him to the waiting limousines by the arm.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Saffron and his companions watched their goddess leave with the landlings. After they were gone, the Lord of the Horus expected to have armed guards threatening his party. But, to his surprise, no one challenged their presence in the slightest. Rather than remaining at the sight, Saffron directed Kiima and Masara to follow Isis, while he cleansed the Rhakshasa's taint from the area.

Once his task was complete, Saffron and the remaining refugees of Phoenix Mountain flew away into the embers of the evening sky. The Phoenix King had much to ponder this day, and for several days to come.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The Ruins of the Moon Palace 

The moon orbiting the third planet was the first place that the Dam Turiel visited upon coming to the Sol system. Orima Tene, "The Beginning Place," was the sacred ground upon which the Dam Turiel first stepped and became the heart of their activities within this arm of the galaxy. The Silver Millennium built itself up around the temple that the Dam Turiel erected and for years Serenity's kingdom prospered.

When Beryl assaulted the Lunarian Empire, Orima Tene was left untouched for fear of drawing the unwanted attention of the First Ones before Metallia and the other Dark Races had established themselves. Thus the temple stood, weathering the ages, cloaked from human eye until the return of Serenity's children. When the Advent occurred on Terra, the Guizuisho called out to the remnants of the Silver Millennium – alerting the sole inhabitant of Orima Tene to their wakening.

The figure felt the moon's spirit shake off ten thousand years of lethargy. The ground shook, sleeping magics reactivated, and a splendid crystal palace rose from the bowls of the celestial body. For the first time in ten millennia air flowed freely across the face of the moon, as the Environmental Matrixes held deep in the palace's belly, flooded the area surrounding Orima Tene with a breathable atmosphere. Other buildings rose in answer to the Guinzuisho's power, across what had once been the political hub of the solar system. Libraries, academies, and factories – all the critical elements to a society's survival had been preserved through Serenity's foresight.

And still the lone figure within the temple watched in silence, showing no emotion whatsoever at the rebirth of a long dead civilization.

It wasn't until the figure saw people emerging from the palace that a small smile blossomed on his face. Some were disoriented and needed aid from others. Many pointed heavenward, in awe of the strange stars that greeted them or shocked to see the continental drift on their nearest planetary neighbor. Others looked at the desolate area surrounding the resurrected buildings with great sadness and determination. The Oracle of Orima Tene was certain that the Lunarians would thrive again. They had never been the type to simply roll over under the strain of tragedy. They would work their hardest to rebuild all that they had lost.

He sighed and set about preparing the temple to receive guests. They would eventually come, to pay their respects and seek his guidance. He had monitored their progress while bound beneath the moon's surface, and knew that they had not been completely idle. But only he had information on the true state of affairs, so they would seek him out for no other reason than to understand the present status of their monarchs.

That excited him more than anything else that happened in recent memory. The technological miracle that had brought the Terrans to the moon not too long ago, not withstanding, this was the most exhilarating thing to happen since the Terrans developed the telescope. He had hoped the "astronauts" would stop by for tea, but they simply came and went in a rather rude display of ignorance. At least this time the Oracle was certain to have visitors.

He'd waited so long for someone to share tea and cakes with.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Juuban 

Tokyo

Usagi endured the fussing of her parents as the large limousine drove through the streets of Juuban. The noise of the crowds had been deafening on their way to the cars, leaving Usagi feeling small and vulnerable. Mamoru held her close on one side, while she and Ami were sandwiched close together by Ranma on the other. Even now, she could feel the press of the frenzied horde, vying for her attention. She could hear the voices of the people screaming at her, begging her to help them, or calling her vile names. More than once Mamoru had smacked groping hands away from the and Ranma had gone so far as to roughly push one persistent man back into the arms of the throng.

The experience had been beyond scary. It had terrified her.

Her mind drifted back to the expressions she saw in her classmates' eyes, as she and the rest of the Senshi were lead past them. The sense of betrayal in Naru-chan's eyes wounded her, but no more than the fear and uncertainty she saw on the faces of the rest. The only person, who seemed truly excited for her, was Umino. That, at least, had brought a smile to her lips as they reached the cars. When they had arrived, she had been both surprised and excited.

There were very few stretch limousines of this size in Japan. Well, she really didn't know if there were a lot for sure, it was just that she'd never seen one before today. The fact that the Senshi had been allotted three of the long black cars was not lost on Usagi. Someone must want to impress them, or at least impress upon them the seriousness of their situation. Usagi, in her limited view of the way the world worked, was impressed.

They managed to fit Setsuna, Usagi, her family, Ranma and his mother, and Ami-chan and her mom in the first car. She desperately missed Mamo-chan's silent strength and the warmth of his body, but she also knew that she didn't need to add any fuel to fires burning behind her parent's disapproving stares. He had nodded in understanding and joined everyone else in the second car, while the third was reserved for the men in black suits.

Pluto had insisted on silence for the first few minutes of the drive, motioning to the open window that separated the driver from his passengers. Everyone involved nodded in understanding, something that Usagi was grateful for – even if the parents looked rather cross and upset. They wanted answers, and any delay in getting them wasn't sitting well. The Senshi of Time largely ignored the other adults in the car in favor of something more pressing. She mumbled something under breath and waved her hand, causing a wave of force to stretch out from her fingers and physically settle into everyone. Usagi's mother had squeaked loudly, but to Usagi's surprise the driver didn't seem to hear.

"Silence spell."

Usagi boggled. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that Pluto had cast the spell – or the fact that she was being up front about something. It almost made the woman's actions today, somewhat bearable. Almost. Usagi was still a bit grumpy about the whole "Empress of the Moon" bit. Ikuko Tsukino open her mouth to ask the first of a flood of questions, but Setsuna held up her hand.

"I will answer all of your questions in due time Tsukino-san. But first, please give me a moment to organize some necessary precautions."

Usagi's mother closed her mouth with a frown and crossed arms but did as the woman asked.

"Ami-chan. I need to see the other Senshi in order to cast this spell. Can you video conference me with their communicators?"

Ami nodded and pulled out the Mercury computer, much to her mother's intense curiosity. After a moment of typing, a small holographic display appeared before her showing all the Senshi in the second car. Setsuna nodded and motioned for everyone to be silent before proceeding. Once the secondary spell was in place, Setsuna sighed.

"We haven't much time, so allow me to explain some things. First, I am the only Senshi that the government does not have a detailed file on – and in the interest of maintaining a free agent, I would ask that everyone refer to me by my title at all times. Anonymity will allow me to move freely, and do things that could not be done otherwise."

"What kinds of things?" Usagi asked.

"What ever you require of me, my Queen. But if the government knows my civilian identity, then my usefulness to you becomes severely limited."

Usagi nodded and

"I would suggest that everyone just assume your own titles from here on out; at least until we are out of the spot light, and those we love are no longer in danger."

"Which will be like, never!" Rei grumbled darkly. Pluto ignored the comment and moved on.

"Secondly, the government's files on the Senshi are not complete. They know some of our abilities but not all. This will work to our favor should things turn sour."

"Turn sour?" Sailor Uranus scoffed. "How much more sour do you expect things to get, Pluto?"

"Prepare for the worst." Ranma yawned. "Everything else is a happy surprise."

Pluto grinned impishly.

"My thoughts exactly."

"So what can we expect?" Ami asked. "They're obviously concerned about us, otherwise they wouldn't be going to all this trouble."

"Mercury is right. By heralding the Advent of Neo-Serenity and Aramas, we have threatened the sovereignty of pretty much every government on the planet."

Usagi frowned.

"Yes, Pluto. Could you please explain why you did that?"

Usagi got her second shock of the day as Sailor Pluto hung her head in shame.

"Time waits for no man…or woman, your Majesty. I know that better than most. Some things cannot be avoided – some responsibilities cannot be shirked." Usagi squirmed under the crimson-eyed woman's gaze. "Your identity was revealed to the world, Aramas was returned to us, and the Rhakshasa are moving against the rest of the world. If the Earth is to be saved, then it was time for a unifying force to emerge."

"So, if we're supposed to be this 'unifying force,'" Rei countered. "…then why is it we're threatening the sovereignty of every nation on the face of the planet?"

"In order to make a cake, a few eggs must be broken." Makoto murmured absently. This caused everyone to gasp and shift nervously.

"Jupiter is correct." Pluto sighed. "Much of the good we will accomplish will not come to fruition until after a great deal of suffering has been inflicted on the rest of the Earth."

"That's just sick!" Everyone's attention was drawn to Minako's father.

"Do you have a different outlook, Aino-san?" Pluto asked evenly.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You're just going to sit back and let those…those monsters hurt and kill innocent people, when you could use all of these powers to help?"

Pluto just raised her eyebrow at the image of the man. Usagi chose to remain silent, and was rewarded as Minako picked up the discussion.

"Of course not, Daddy. But who is going to allow us to do our job? I mean most of the governments are just going to see a bunch of high school students."

"But that is exactly what you are!" Kenji Tsukino said. "A bunch of little girls playing a very deadly game."

Usagi wanted to cry. It was obvious that her father was struggling with the idea that his little girl was involved in something so serious, but she had hoped he would have been more supportive. The Senshi were surprised when Ranma spoke out in their defense.

"Dude. Until you know what you're talkin' about, shut the hell up."

"Why don't you mind your own business, punk!"

"If you hadn't noticed, _Old Man_, this is my business."

Pluto coughed into her hand, hoping to nip the growing conflict in the bud before it spiraled out of control.

"Gentlemen please. We don't have much time left and the only way that we are to make any progress is through unity."

"Fine, Pluto. But I'm not going to sit back and let this idiot badmouth you guys. Not after all the blood you've spilt and sacrifices you made, to save his sorry can. I mean, if everything I saw today was true, then you guys have died, what – three or four times already?"

Usagi fidgeted under her parents' scrutiny, as did the other girls. It was a truly uncomfortable moment for everyone, but Ranma wasn't finished yet.

"You're not little girls. You're warriors, plain and simple. If he didn't see that today then the next time one of those uglies shows up, he can go out and fight it himself. Let's see how far being an adult takes him."

Ranma, having said his peace, closed his eyes again and laid his head back. Kenji, for his part looked ashamed for his little outburst. Everyone felt the cars starting to slow, and looked worriedly at Pluto.

"We're out of time. They will obviously try to separate us, hoping that by dividing us they'll be able to control us easier. Take your time. Answer any questions put to you honestly and fully. However, I must remind you to avoid speaking about me at all. If you must, refer to me as Sailor Pluto."

"I called my lawyer on the way to the Tower. He's been following us ever since." Mr. Aino said. Pluto nodded.

"That is good. Please introduce me to the gentleman when we get out, Aino-san. If they intend to intimidate the parents through legal channels, we will allow the law to work on our behalf."

"What if they try to stick us with the bills for the damage done at the Tower?"

Ami's mother, silent up until that point looked at her daughter worriedly.

"What if they attempt to arrest you? I don't know what laws there are concerning magical girls fighting demons, but I do know that you would at least be considered vigilantes. I could probably scrounge enough bail for A…er, Sailor Mercury?"

Ami nodded and smiled.

"But there's no way I could collect enough to fix even a little of the damage at the tower."

Pluto smiled confidently.

"I can handle any financial troubles that arise. As far as arresting us…since Aramas…."

"Ranma." The young man in question growled.

"Since Ranma and Serenity have a dinner appointment with the Emperor tomorrow, I highly doubt that we will run into that problem. If it does come into play, rest assured that we have other options available to us."

"What options?" Ikuko demanded. Pluto shook her head as the car stopped.

"Later. I'm releasing my spells." She waved her hand and an unseen weight disappeared from Usagi's shoulders.

A moment or two passed before one of the men in black suits opened the door for the passengers. As Usagi exited the limo, two impressive towers of glass and steel confronted her. The imposing buildings seemed so large and forbidding in the fading light of day. The weight of her predicament hit home in that moment, and her insides turned to jelly. She felt a strong hand resting on her shoulder, drawing her gaze upwards. She expected it to be Mamoru, but wasn't too terribly surprised to see Ranma smiling confidently down at her.

In spite of how terribly large her world had grown, she was comforted by the knowledge that she wasn't alone. She had a new big brother to protect her from the darkness…even if that big brother had been something of a jerk in her last life.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Somewhere between Mercury and Venus 

Mercury's power lanced through the void, shooting unerringly towards the planet whose name she shared. The energy bent and shaped the space around it, much like the ripples on a pond, mixing with the residual forces left over from a tragic accident that had left the planet Mercury devoid of all life. This small shift along the cosmic flows was enough to make a small tear in the fabric of time and space. It wasn't much; barely enough to even register on the visual scale. But, when combined with the forces pushing against it from the other side of the tear, it was enough to allow a vessel long thought destroyed to escape its ten thousand year imprisonment.

"Status report." The woman's voice was curt and no nonsense. The automated alarms still sounded throughout the ship, alerting the crew of the Arbiter that all was not well. A smartly dressed woman saluted her superior and presented the facts in a crisp, professional manner. The Arbiter was a no-nonsense ship, run by the "Ice Queen of Mercury" herself.

"Fold was successful, Lady Mercury. Internal damage is widespread, but manageable. Maxim Drives seven, twelve, and thirty six have imploded."

"Casualties?"

"Reports are still coming in. Crewmen within the range of the imploding engines are all gone, but safety measures contained the damage and loss of life."

"I want a full list of names of the deceased and a complete diagnostic of the engine failure, Commander Shie."

"Yes, Lady Mercury."

Hathomet sighed and melted back in her chair. The Arbiter had run into yet another set back, and again it had cost her the lives of many brave and talented souls. She growled and slammed her fist against the arm of her deck chair. The whole situation was intolerable! Half her life had been spent building this ship and she still couldn't get it to work the way she knew it should. Her thoughts were interrupted by the shocked gasp of her helmswoman. She felt a headache building.

"Helm report!" The young woman in question jumped and quickly stood at attention.

"My Lady! Astrogation reports that current star charts do not match our last known position!"

Hathomet's eyes twitched, but her body made no other sign of emotion – in spite of the panic that was welling in the pit of her stomach. The sound of the claxons made it all but impossible to think straight.

"Turn those damn alarms off! Helm, level three scan of this system. Look for a habitable world. If we have jumped off course I want to know what options we have open to us. Commander! Full status report and contingency plans in place within the hour."

The bridge crew immediately set to work with well-oiled precision. In less than fifteen minutes, a junior grade helmsman appeared before her with a report in hand. Hathomet's eyes slowly widened in shock as she read the data pad, unnerving the young man before her greatly.

"You are certain of these readings?"

"M'AM! YES, M'AM!"

Hathomet slumped in her deck chair weakly, and re-read the report.

"Bridge is on Lockdown, Helmsman Ghur. I will be making the announcement when it is time to address the rest of the crew. Understood?"

"M'AM! YES, M'AM!"

"Good. Pass the word among the bridge crew."

Her hand palmed her forehead as her first officer appeared at her side. She handed him the data pad and covered her face with her hands.

"Sedna's Girdle! How?"

"We always knew it was a possibility, Tamlin." Hathomet met the man's gaze calmly, discounting the emotions that were welling in her heart.

"But ten thousand years…." His whispered voice held more than a little dread. Hathomet ignored him in favor of gaining more insight.

"Commander Shie, do you have anything to report?"

"Yes, m'lady. Crew compliment has suffered one hundred seventy nine casualties, and med bays are reporting over five hundred wounded. Reports are still coming in from across the ship."

"Direct off-duty personnel and reservists to the med-bays. What about the damage to the ship?"

"Minimal damage to propulsion, outside of the reported damage to the Maxim Drives. There are no hull breaches, although decks forty to forty-three are reporting instability and frame warping amidships."

Hathomet cursed.

"Damn gravity distortions! Lock down all Maxim Drives. We will be using the secondary and tertiary engines until further notice. I want repair crews working on the damage to those decks as soon as possible."

Commander Shie nodded and turned back to her duties. As far as Second Officers went, Shie was top notch. The Jovian officer had graduated top of her class, and was a tactical genius. Hathomet could see the makings of a Senshi in her, and if they could have gotten this damn ship up and running well enough to duplicate it, the elder Senshi of Mercury had intended to recommend that she receive her own command. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option it seemed.

"My…my Lady?"

Hathomet looked over to the Communications Bay and noted that the young man had a strange, almost giddy expression on his face. The Lunarian was no older than Hathomet's youngest daughter, but was every bit a linguistics prodigy and had an incredible knack for code breaking. She was still working on building up his confidence though. The boy was terrified of her, and not without good reason.

"Yes, Mr. Bashan?"

"I'm picking up communication streams from the system's third planet."

"Good." Hathomet nodded and opened her mouth to set a course for the planet in question, but Bashan cut her off.

"That's not all, milady." When he was certain he had her attention, he continued. "I'm also picking up Venusian, Martian, Lunarian, and Jovian distress beacons."

"Come again, Mr. Bashan?" She couldn't have heard that right.

"Truly, Lady Mercury. The codes are being relayed on royal channels."

"I can confirm that." Commander Shie announced. "We're a bit out of date, but transponder codes match our archived data."

Hathomet looked thoughtful.

"Are these codes on automated systems?"

"Checking." Bashan worked diligently and his eyes widened in surprise. "All are automated save one milady. We are being hailed on a priority one channel. The cipher is Lunarian!"

"Is it a secure transmission, Mr. Bashan?"

"Yes, M'am."

"Let's hear it."

"…ima Tene to Millennial vessel 'Arbiter' – Please confirm your security clearance. I repeat: this is the Lunarian colony Orima Tene to Millennial vessel 'Arbitor' – Please confirm your security clearance."

"Mr. Bashan, send this response: 'Atte Diu Pervigilis' – Authorization: Hathomet. Queen of Khan-Khast. Elder Senshi of Mercury."

Hathomet waited patiently for the communication to go through. Moments passed in tense silence before Orima Tene responded.

"Serenity be praised! It is good to hear your voice again Lady Mercury! We thought you and the crew of the Arbiter lost."

"With whom do I speak?" Her voice was crisp to hide the tears swelling in her eyes.

"Cadmus Zeus, milady. Acting Regent of Orima Tene."

Hathomet shot a concerned glance to her First Officer, Tamlin.

"Acting Regent?"

There was a long silence.

"It is a long tale Lady Mercury."

"One I am anxious to hear, Regent Zues. We are making best possible speed to Orima Tene. You may expect us in approximately…" She looked to Commander Shie who flashed two fingers. "In approximately two days."

"We will prepare accordingly."

The relief and excitement in the man's voice was palpable, and it made the entire bridge crew break out in smiling faces and cheers.

"Very well. Arbiter out."

Orders were relayed, repairs were begun, and the mighty Arbiter's engines roared to life. In two days, the elder Senshi of Mercury looked forward to getting answers to the multitude of questions that were already brimming in her mind.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The Palace of Seven Clouded Heavens 

China

Night fell over the former Musk stronghold, but it's shadows brought no peace to Ahbrim Ur. His emotions still boiled over Serenity's treachery as he sat in the darkness of his chambers. She had birthed a son, and in her pettiness had denied him the singular hope of knowing that the child even existed. Worse still, the Lemurian whore Onyx must have known of the boy – but she too had kept it from him during her visits to his prison. Had he known of this child, what might he have done differently? How might things have changed for him?

It was during this dark brooding that Esos came to him, walking in from the balcony entrance and dressed in a filmy gown that was backlit by the moon's silver light. It was a pleasant distraction that derailed his angst for a moment. She may not have been Serenity or Onyx, but it was plainly apparent that Esos was a woman.

"What news do you bring, Esos?"

"Good news, my Lord." She bowed low, obviously feeling his eyes lingering on her. He motioned for her to continue. "The first prototype will be finished by the week's end."

"That is good news indeed. And the shield?"

"As things stand, it will be done prior to the completion of the prototype."

Ur nodded and stood from his chair. His fingers caressed her cheek and trailed down her neck, causing her to shiver.

"You have surpassed my greatest expectations, Esos. Now our only problem to solve is where to strike first."

Ur waved his hand and a transparent globe appeared to his right. The globe began to refine itself into a geo-political map of the Earth, based on the information he had gathered. There were blank spots here and there, but all of the major players were represented. Four bright green lights sprang to life across the globe, each signifying a different city of importance: Washington, Rome, New York, and Beijing.

"For your loyalty and dedication, dear Esos, I give you the honor of drawing first blood."

Esos bowed deeply to Ur, hiding her sudden nervousness. The former Chinese scientist stretched forth a trembling finger and hesitantly touched one of the green lights, turning it a bloody crimson. The Lord of the Hunt nodded and smiled, dispelling the illusion and cupping the young woman's chin.

"So be it."

He kissed her relishing the feel of her velvet lips against his. He finally parted from her, breathless and aroused.

"Let the Hunt begin."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

End Chapter Nine 


	11. Chapter 10

Progeny  
By Jeffrey Vasquez

(oo0/8/0oo)

Disclaimer:

All characters and settings are used here without permission.

"Ranma 1/2" was created by Takahashi Rumiko, and is licensed to Shogakukan Inc., Kitty, Fuji TV, and Viz Communications Inc.

"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" (or "Sailor Moon") was created by Takeuchi Naoko, and is licensed to Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Douga, and DIC Entertainment, L.P.

All original characters belong to me. Please drop me a line if you want to use them.

Forward:

Thanks to all of my reviewers at and those wonderful people who have taken the time to send me their thoughts on Progeny and my other stories! I read everything you guys send me, and wish that I had an easier (and more time efficient) way to respond to you individually. Progeny is coming close to completion, and as things stand we've only got a few more chapters left. Thanks for sticking with me!

Special thanks to those that sent my family and I their condolences on the loss of my Father-in-Law, Uncle, and Grandmother. The last year and a half has been very trying for us and your support has been nothing short of golden. Your love and kindness have kept me writing when I had no real desire to. Enjoy the chapter!

(oo0/8/0oo)

Progeny   
Chapter 10

(oo0/8/0oo)

The World, She is a changin'

That was really the best sentiment the collective populace of the Earth could come up with, beyond the general shock and awe of the last five hours. True to form, the world media pounced on the story of the Senshi and spread it faster than an air born contagion. And like a plague, various opinions infected a number of societies with differing results.

At first, common consensus was that the event was nothing more than a publicity stunt…a great practical joke in the same vein as Orson Wells and his infamous radio play. This view lasted all of two hours, until a rather well-known and highly respected visiting journalist from the United States banked his integrity and career on breaking the story. His producers knew that this was the real deal and spurred his network to pre-empt the early morning newscasts of every affiliate to bring the live coverage into the homes of their faithful viewers. This was the scoop of the century for both the journalist and his network, since every one of the other networks had decided that sending their anchors out on world tours was a bit too costly this year. That's not to say that the other networks didn't end up spending the money they had saved in purchasing the footage of "The Advent" from those "Lucky Bastards over at ABN" and the Japanese media, in order to stay current. The other international news agencies weren't far behind in reporting the event.

The public of course received the news with varying degrees of belief and reacted accordingly. Public opinion in the US found itself immediately split. In one camp, you had Soft Core Liberal Alarmists denouncing the audacity of the Japanese for making such a declaration. The silence of the Japanese government only added more fuel to their caustic ire. The Hard Core Liberal Militants scoffed and rubbed their hands at the thought of a new conflict to exploit and enflame. The Conservatives were quite a bit more fractured. Many within the main stream Judeo-Christian contingent loudly declaimed the Senshi as the poster children of the Anti-Christ, due to the fact that they were obviously succubae (as evidenced in the immoral manner in which these women dressed and the fact that they used vile sorcery – read "libidinous and pornographic magic" – to lure the young and impressionable away from the fold). In an odd display of camaraderie, most of the Middle East immediately agreed with this position as well. Hell of course was reported as freezing over.

Another contingent of the Religious Right thought that this extreme position was totally stupid and publicly and condemned those declaiming the Senshi – after all, "Judge not, lest ye be judged…" and all that. Besides, they were obviously fighting a demon, so they couldn't be all that bad, now could they?

The debate was continuing to grow of course, and riots were already breaking out in major cities across the United States. Feminists applauded the Senshi for their righteous crusade against the patriarchal order; the white supremacists automatically branded the stalwart warriors of Love and Justice as Communist Whores and planned to burn a cross on Sailor Moon's lawn as soon as possible. All in all, it was just another day in the life of the average U.S. citizen.

The United Kingdom, along with the rest of those European Union members with above average intelligence, took a more patient stance. After all, it was bad form to just jump on any old bandwagon. No, it was far better to mull the matter over afternoon tea and biscuits, than be branded a brash fool. Those countries that remained really could care less one way or another. King of the World? Who the hell cares? Finding dinner and dodging the bullets from the latest Coup attempt were much more pressing matters.

At the end of the day, the world's opinion of the Sailor Senshi was as varied and diverse as the fish in the sea. In the next forty-eight hours many of those opinions would be validated or changed completely. And all it would take were the lives of some measly two hundred and fifty million souls to do it.

(oo0/8/0oo)

The government debriefing was short, sweet, and surprisingly to the point for Yuriko Mizuno. Many of the fears that had been expressed by the parents about having to reimburse the damages caused by the Senshi's fight, or being arrested for playing hero, were unfounded…at least for now. The only thing that she had been grilled on, were the frequency of the attacks her daughter had to defend against and the current threat facing Japan. Since she had no idea about either, the interview had been very short.

To Yuriko's point of view, it was something of a let down. Sure they had asked some rather pointed questions about her daughter and her relationship towards Ranma, but in the end she had been expecting more. It always seemed that the people in spy novels tended to get the third degree, and the fact that she hadn't had to answer more obscure questions left her feeling a bit…flat. That's not to say that she wasn't extremely grateful for the turn out, not at all. It was just…well, with all the excitement she had expected more from her government and they had let her down. She sighed and berated herself for being so contrary. What kind of fool wanted to be interrogated by her government? She thought for a long moment and shook her head.

Obviously a fool who lived a boring life of drudgery.

"Be careful what you wish for, Yuriko-chan." She mumbled. "You just might get it."

She stood from the comfortable couch she'd been sitting at and stretched. The clock read eleven twenty three, and the only other person in the room she had been brought to, was Rei's grandfather.

She had arrived at eight and dinner was brought in to them at eight thirty. They shared a pleasant meal together and a satisfying exchange about their present circumstances. The conversation drifted away from their current situation and settled on the safe topic of the various natural onsen they had visited over the years. Yuriko was grateful to the elderly gentleman for his compassion. They spent rest of their time together debating the merits of the Hanamaki Onsen versus the Nyuto Onsen. It was a good-natured discussion that ended when Hino-sensei was called in for his interview at nine fifteen.

He returned an hour later, smiling and at ease.

An attractive young woman popped her head in around nine forty, to let her know that everything was all right and that Ami-chan would be done soon. Yuriko had been surprised and hurt that Ami had asked for her not to sit in on the interview, insisting to have a lawyer represent her instead. When she had asked why, Ami-chan had simply pointed out that Yuriko would most likely over-react to some of the things she heard and that the interview would go smoother and faster if Ami didn't have the distraction of an angry adult in the room. She couldn't fault her daughter's logic, but felt the need to reiterate to her beautiful child that, as a mother, Yuriko had every right to over-react. She further explained to the lawyer that she wanted a transcript of everything they talked about behind closed doors and once the black suits had agreed to her terms, she reminded Ami-chan that after all this was said and done, she was still grounded forever.

After her daughter left, she found herself stuck in this room, ignorant of anything that she felt she needed to know and unable to do anything about it. She had seen the Aino family leaving together, with a very sedate and subdued Minako sandwiched between her parents. They looked less than pleased. Well, Minako's father looked less than pleased. The cute blonde's mother looked positively starry-eyed.

Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn passed her door, presumably leaving from the sounds of things around ten thirty. Yuriko wondered why it was taking Ami-chan so much longer than the others, and came to the conclusion that her interview would be more in depth since the monster had been targeting her specifically.

"I'm sure that they will be finished soon." Hino-sensei looked up from his magazine, and offered her another comforting smile.

"I know. It's just been a very long and emotional day."

"Yes. Yes it has." The grandfatherly gentleman looked to say more but the door opened, admitting Rei in her Senshi uniform. Hino-sensei stood and examined his granddaughter carefully. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. They didn't ask me too many questions since I came to the fight late." She sighed and shook her head. "They want me to remain 'available for further questioning' though, so I doubt that all of this is over with."

Yuriko frowned. She hadn't been thinking about the future all that much tonight. Her attention had been focused on the problems at hand, and not the long-term implications.

"Did they say anything else?" Yuriko asked.

"Not really. That Umasho fellow from the Imperial Household Agency showed up half way through the interview though."

"Oh?" Hino-sensei raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I guess Usagi-chan let something slip about us being her 'retainers,' and as such the Emperor has asked that we attend the dinner as well."

"That seems rather unusual. Did all the Senshi receive an invitation?"

"So far as I know, yes."

Rei's grandfather looked thoughtful for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Yuriko asked.

"One or two retainers I can understand. Etiquette permits a token show of force by a visiting ruler, but to invite all of Usagi-chan's protectors into the presence of the Emperor? It's something that doesn't seem all that…safe."

"Grandpa! We wouldn't attack the Emperor and you know it!" Rei looked severely shaken at the very thought of doing something so…well, evil.

"Obviously, the Imperial Household's security contingent agrees with you, otherwise you wouldn't have received an invitation. Still I wonder if there's something more to this, than we're seeing."

Yuriko's heart began beating a little faster at the hint of intrigue.

"Umasho-san asked me if I wouldn't mind signing a few autographs and posing for a few pictures with the Imperial family."

Grandpa Hino nodded his head.

"That makes a bit more sense. Politically speaking, the people of Juuban see you as heroines. It might be that the Prime Minister is trying to put a positive spin on things…tying you to the Emperor and therefore to the people of Japan. If you are friends of the government, and seem to have been for a very long time, then the government won't lose face."

Yuriko was impressed. Now that he had pointed it out, the maneuvering seemed logical. The more that she thought about it, the move was a smart one. Make it seem like the Senshi are actually working for you, and then play up the angle of protecting the people. However, if the dinner with the Emperor didn't go well, then the whole climate of the government's dealings would change from friendly to antagonistic over night.

"You seem to know a lot about politics for a priest." Yuriko smiled.

"Rei's father is a politician. His experiences have given me a deeper understanding of how our government works."

Yuriko was surprised to see Rei frown at the mention of her father. The cold expression wasn't one she would have associated with the Senshi of Mars. The young woman was quick to change the subject.

"Grandpa, the Tsukinos need some support. They haven't seen Usagi since everyone was brought in. Could we go sit with them?"

The elderly gentleman tossed a discreet, apologetic look Yuriko's way. The doctor nodded and smiled.

"Would you like me to come along, Rei-chan?"

"I think they would like that, Mizuno-sensei."

"Please. Call me Yuriko." Rei smiled thankfully at Ami's mother. "Let me get my purse and we can…"

The door opened suddenly, admitting a weeping Nodoka. Gone was the strong, traditional woman that Yuriko had befriended all those years ago, and in her place was a broken shell. Ami's mother wasted no time in rushing to her friend's aid. Rei, being the closest to the door reached Ranma's mother first, and barely caught the woman as she collapsed. Grandpa Hino quickly cleared a path to the closest couch and the women lifted the distraught mother into a more comfortable position. The air was tense and uncomfortable for the Hinos, so Yuriko waved them off. Both left reluctantly, but it was apparent that the doctor was the best suited to handle the situation. Nodoka continued to weep, unmindful of anything beyond her own pain.

"What's wrong, No-chan?" 

It took Ranma's mother a long time, and many tries before she was able to collect herself enough to speak coherently.

"They're…they're taking Ranma away from me!" She broke down again and clung to a very shocked Yuriko Mizuno.

"WHAT!"

It took longer for Nodoka to gain sufficient control of herself, but Yuriko was too shaken to press for answers. All she could do was look at the poor woman and silently share her pain. Having gone through a divorce herself, she understood the fear associated with potentially losing your child. Luckily for her, Ami's father was too busy being an artist to be bothered to deal with a custody battle. Nodoka's tears dried up, but she refused to let go of Yuriko.

"They arrested Genma at the Tower."

Ami's mother was happy about being a part of that – mostly because she had been a rather integral element in bringing the great ass down. The temptation to smile at the sweet memory of Justice being served was great, but in difference to Nodoka's pain, Yuriko refrained from celebrating. Instead, she just nodded and rubbed her best friend's back.

"They charged him almost immediately and took him in for more questioning. When they found out that he was Ranma's father, they transferred him here and began asking even more questions."

Nodoka shivered and sniffled. Yuriko reached into her purse and gave Nodoka some tissues.

"They have a file on Ranma, Yuriko. A very thick file. They said that they have one on all of the 'prominent people' in Japan." She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "It was obvious that they were happy to have finally gotten their hands on Genma. His folder was even thicker than Ranma's, and from the glance I caught of its contents – my ex-husband was something of a notorious criminal."

"Your 'ex-husband'?" Nodoka nodded sadly. "Well, all I can say No-chan, is that it's about damn time. You deserve better."

"I'm not so sure about that."

Yuriko didn't get the opportunity to question her friend about that statement, as Nodoka suddenly shifted gears.

"They invited me to watch Genma's interview, to act as a sort of character witness. I agreed, intending to make certain that they had a clear picture about the man's more recent activities. They warned me up front that things weren't going to be pretty. I thought that I had heard the worst Genma had to offer, but I was wrong. When they started asking questions about Genma's past, I was shocked."

Ranma's mother sat up and grabbed her friend's hands in desperation.

"He's a dreadful person, Yuriko. If I had known then, what I know now, I would have run from him the day he proposed to me! The inhumane things he did to poor Ranma! I…I had no idea…."

"What did he do, No-chan?"

"Terrible things! Inexcusable things! He sold him for food, taught him to steal from people, be…beat him…." Nodoka couldn't continue. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"There's more isn't there?"

Nodoka simply nodded.

"Is it bad?"

Nodoka nodded vigorously.

"You don't have to talk about it now. You should find someone to help you deal with it though."

The distraught woman tensed and tightly closed her fists in her lap, until her knuckles were white.

"I allowed it to happen, Yuriko! I gave my baby to that monster! I'm responsible for the hell he had to endure growing up!"

"He abused your trust, No-chan. You shouldn't blame yourself for that."

"They are!"

"Who, Dear?" Yuriko had a sinking feeling about where this was going, but plunged ahead anyway.

"The Ministry of Health and Welfare!"

"Why are they getting involved? Ranma's almost an adult, it doesn't make any sense to intervene now."

"The law is the law, Yuriko. Besides, Genma told them about that damned contract! He told them that I forced him to write it."

"What contract?"

Nodoka blanched.

"Tell me about the contract, No-chan."

"You have to understand! I was seventeen years old! I was stupid and in love. I wasn't serious about following through with it!"

Yuriko could tell that it was bad, and knew that Nodoka was afraid of what the knowledge of this would do to their friendship.

"I won't abandon you, No-chan. Just tell me what it said, so that I can help."

"You can't help. No one can."

"Let me be the judge of that." Yuiko patted her friend's hand comfortingly. Nodoka hid her face in shame.

"It was a seppuku contract."

"Oh, dear sweet heaven! No-chan you didn't…?"

"Of course I didn't! It was all Genma! But he seemed so sincere and I was caught up in the romance of the moment! It was like we were in a movie. I would never hold my son to such a terrible promise."

"But Genma tried to pin it on you."

Nodoka's head fell.

"Yes, and Ranma's testimony only gave more weight to his lie."

"Ranma's testimony?"

"When they came back from China, and were staying at the Tendo's, I…." She shook her head. "It took me sometime to put everything together, what with the curses and everything. But once I did figure it out, I wanted to pay Genma back for his cruelty in keeping my son from me."

"You were angry." Yuriko said.

"Of course I was angry! Who wouldn't be? After ten long years that tub of lard comes back, and the first thing he does is look up that worthless ass, Tendo. The contract was the only way that I could express my anger."

"Why didn't you tell Ranma the truth?"

Nodoka's expression went from upset to depressed in the blink of an eye.

"I was too caught up in punishing Genma. The thought never occurred to me until a beach trip we took with the Tendos. That's where the farce ended for me, but by that time Genma had done such a good job of teaching Ranma to fear me that it took months to get him to look at me without flinching."

"I expect that you explained this to them already." Nodoka nodded. "So why are they siding with a lying bastard like Genma on this?"

Nodoka shrugged.

"It seems that they've got plans for Ranma, and this is the easiest way of moving those plans forward."

"Plans? What plans?"

"I don't know all of the details, but they mentioned something about a reward for saving the people at the Tower from the demon. They even talked openly about putting Ranma with another family to protect him from 'abusive parents!'"

Alarm blossomed on Yuriko's face. Her conversation with Hino-sensei came back to her mind with a vengeance.

"'…friends of the government….' They're looking for a way to control him and the Senshi."

Nodoka nodded again.

"Oh. Oh, damn! No-chan this isn't right! We've got to do something!"

"What can we do? Genma's been imprisoned and they've already declared me an unfit mother! They made it very clear that should they find the rest of the family wanting, Ranma will be a ward of the state. Considering Genma's sisters, I can only imagine that it will be a matter of time before they make good on their promises! There's nothing to do!"

"And Ranma allowed this?"

"I doubt they've told him yet. Not after what they saw him do at Tokyo Tower. They'll probably wait until his dinner appointment with the Emperor tomorrow. Besides, what can he do to stop it? Don't you see? I've lost my son again and there's not a damn thing I can do about it!"

Nodoka broke down in tears again, and Yuriko joined her this time. There were no words of comfort to be given in that moment – after all, what could be said to assuage the pain and helplessness this poor woman was feeling?

A small pit of fear gripped Yuriko's heart as she held her friend. If this had happened to Nodoka, it could just as easily happen to her.

(oo0/8/0oo)

"What's the angle kid? What are you hoping to get out of this stunt you pulled today? Money? Fame? Did your old man put you up to this scam?"

Retsu Watanami was, by all measure, a career "bad cop" – not in the sense that he was on the take, or anything so corrupt. If he was guilty of any darkness, it came from his being of the old mindset that corporal and capital punishment should be instituted for all levels of criminal activity. His position on the redemption of the undesirable elements of society was simple: use their corpses as fertilizer. That was the only way that they would have a positive impact on society anyway. He had little patience for criminal elements, and the only reason he'd been invited into the debriefing was his long history with Ranma's father. Retsu had been chasing Genma Saotome for nearly twenty years, and by association he'd been hunting Ranma for ten. The instant the pair had seen each other, it was a powder keg waiting to blow and Retsu had just tossed the match.

"Scam?" Ranma growled. "Angle? Just who the hell do you think I am?"

"I think you're a punk-ass thief who thinks himself above the law. You're Genma Saotome's son, and that alone should be a criminal offense." Retsu snarled.

He leaned in until his nose was all but touching Ranma's. The stale stench of cigarettes and bad coffee clung to the man's breath and clothes. It made the already irritable young man's patience thin even more. Ranma's eyes narrowed dangerously and the air started to ripple around his body.

"Back off man."

It took everything Ranma had just to keep from shattering the man's jaw.

"Are you threatening me, boy?"

"I'm giving you a friendly warning, Old Man. It's been one hell of a day." The temperature dipped even more as Ranma leaned forward, making Retsu back up nervously. "Don't press, unless you're ready for me to push back."

"Now you listen here you little shi…" 

"That will be enough, Inspector."

The blustering detective spun away from Ranma to face the source of the voice. The stately woman looked to be in her mid-forties and had a hard, no nonsense presence about her. She was pretty, but that beauty was secondary to the authority she exuded.

"I will not be threatened by some felon's snot nosed little bastard!" Retsu stabbed a finger at Ranma and then pointed to the tall stack of thick, three ring binders on the table before the young man. "He's a criminal and as far as I'm concerned he should be sharing a cell block with his father!"

A nimbus of silvery light exploded around Ranma's body as he shot to his feet. Inspector Watanami backed off hastily, but didn't look ready to back down any. Ranma wondered just how many of Watanami's bones he could powder before they could stop him. He was sure he could manage about a hundred and twenty – probably more if he could get some maneuvering room. His forward momentum was brought up short as a firm hand gripped his shoulder.

"Inspector Watanami, your opinion in this matter holds very little weight at present." The woman's calm voice cut through the tension easily as she gently directed Ranma back into his chair. "We are not here to discuss Saotome-san's past, beyond the events of this afternoon. You are here as a favor to Special Director Hitoichi, nothing more and nothing less. Do I make myself clear?"

"You mean to tell me that we're ignoring over four thousand counts of property damage, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, petty larceny, fraud, and indecent exposure!?" Retsu roared. His face was already purpling with his repressed rage.

"For the moment, yes." The woman stated evenly. "Having reviewed some of those reported incidents myself, Inspector, I find that many of the facts do not add up. If anything, they paint Saotome-san as a victim of exploitation and child abuse."

"You can't be serious!" Watanami rounded the table and grabbed a fat binder from the top of the pile in both hands and waved it at the woman. "I have sworn complaints from a number of victims about his recent activities in Nerima! He's broken the law and must be held accountable for his actions!"

"Your investigations were inconclusive as far as Saotome-san was concerned." The woman crossed her arms as she ignored the waving binder. "He was involved in many of the reported instances, but his participation as a defender was corroborated on many occasions. Today's events give credence to those testimonies and as such, I will not tolerate your badgering this young man in the name of your vendetta."

"Vendetta!" Retsu hissed. He would have said more had the third man in the room stood up and entered the conversation. He was younger than both Watanami and the woman, looking to be in his late twenties or early thirties at most. His smooth skin and relaxed posture marked him as a non-combatant, but the way he moved screamed otherwise to Ranma's jaded eye.

"If I may, Yoshizumi-san?" At her nod he smiled and settled in the chair opposite Ranma. "The inspector has spent a great deal of his life following the Saotome files. While his passionate methods leave much to be desired, his position is valid. Crimes have been committed, lives and livelihoods have been damaged, and this has been the first opportunity for us to have a look into the other side of the story."

"While I understand your eagerness for justice Hitoichi-san, I have my orders." Yoshizumi-san's voice was cool and in control. "The analysis of the events of Tokyo Tower takes precedence over any criminal investigation, past or present, that might involve Saotome-san."

"And what happens if the two cases are some how linked in some way?" Hitoichi-san laced his fingers and switched his attention from the woman to Ranma. "Please answer the original question Mr. Saotome. Were the events at Tokyo Tower engineered by you or anyone that you know?"

He looked at the man across from him darkly for a moment, and then closed his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep cleansing breath. The man's question pissed him off, but considering all the crap that his father pulled over the years, he couldn't exactly blame them for asking.

Damn it! This wasn't the way that he had envisioned spending the evening. Then again, he hadn't exactly expected to destroy Tokyo Tower when he got up this morning either.

"Please, Saotome-san. Try to understand this from our position. People have been hurt. Lives have been lost. We're trying to find them some semblance of peace. If you know anything about the origin of the entity you fought, you have a duty to disclose that information – regardless of your relationship to those that may be guilty."

Ranma blinked and then shook his head.

"You think that Pops had something to do with this?" That was rich! The tub of lard was a rogue and an idiot, but he wasn't smart enough or evil enough to deal with the Rhakshasa.

"You tell us." Watanami sneered from a corner of the room.

"Saotome-san, I know it's been a trying day for you. I also appreciate the need to remain loyal to your father." The detective rubbed his cheek tiredly. "To be completely honest, if it were up to me, I wouldn't be burdening you with any of this right now."

Hitoichi, for being in the employ of the government, seemed pretty okay. With the awakening of Ranma's Lunarian heritage, he could feel the purity of the man's soul and knew that he was telling the truth.

"Thanks." Ranma smiled wanly and nodded.

"Unfortunately, our superiors are insistent on addressing this issue as soon as possible. You have to appreciate the fact that your father has done quite a few dishonest things in his life. We know this already, and have more than enough evidence to prosecute." Hitoichi-san shook his head. "Both he and his friend Soun Tendo are in custody, and are being questioned as we speak. From what I understand, he's already blaming quite a bit of his felonious activities on you and someone named 'Master Happosai' – including the summoning of the…demon…that attacked the Tower."

Ranma slammed his fist against the metal tabletop, denting it severely, and shot angrily from his chair.

"That's a damn lie! I had nothing to do with the Rhakshasa attacking the Tower, and I sure as hell doubt the letch is stupid enough to have any sort of arrangement with their kind. Hell, I doubt the old fart has the resources or the power necessary to breach the Seal, even if he wanted to use them!"

"You sure know a lot about these so called 'demons' don't you Saotome?" Both Ranma and Hitoichi-san ignored Retsu's accusation.

"Do you want to hear some of your father's interview?" Hitoichi asked as he watched the young man pace back and forth. Not waiting for Ranma's answer he motioned for Yoshizumi to start the play back.

"…it was the boy."

"How in the world does an underweight seven year old, steal five cases of Kirin and three cases of Sapporo's best?"

"The boy is a master thief…don't underestimate his cunning!"

"And just who taught him to be such a criminal delinquent?"

"There are many gangs and unsavory types in the schools these days. I'm sad to say that the boy often fell in with the wrong crowds while I worked odd jobs."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. The life of a loving, single parent is terribly difficult and fraught with hardships that few can fathom."

"I can only imagine." The interviewer paused and the sound of shuffling paper echoed through the room. "Tell me something Saotome-san, why would any loving parent, single or otherwise, train their child in the…neko-ken, was it?

"Pops is blowin' smoke in order to save his own ass." The young martial artist sighed and slumped wearily into his seat. "But he's too much of a moron to pull off a ritual summoning, regardless of his resources. Any demon would eat him alive before he had the chance to bind it."

"Again, I'd like to go on record…" Retsu interjected loudly. "…and point out that the young man seems to be demonstrating a great deal of knowledge about the subject of demons and what it takes to make use of them."

"Dude, you're really starting to piss me off." Ranma growled.

"I don't give a rat's ass, how you feel Saotome!" Retsu jeered. "There are six people lying in a morgue five blocks from here, and another fifteen who are laid up in the hospital because of you and that monster."

"Watanami, this is your last warning." Yoshizumi snapped. "Stop trying to implicate Saotome-san of something he had no control over."

"The kid's record speaks for itself!" Retsu roared. "If you're not going to ask the hard questions, then maybe you should stop playing at being a detective. Go back to the kitchen where you belong!"

No one saw Ranma move. To the naked eye he seemed to disappear from his chair and then reappear across the room with Watanami hoisted two and a half feet off the floor by the front of his shirt with one hand.

"Apologize to the lady."

"Make me punk." Watanami's grin was positively feral. "I've got you on attempted assault of an officer of the law, why not go all the way and give me more ammo to put you behind bars where you belong?"

"Saotome-san, please release him." Yoshizumi laid a gentle hand on his forearm. Ranma reluctantly complied, and moved back to his chair. The female detective glared at Retsu Watanami once before stepping back to Hitoichi's side and whispering something to him. He nodded once and closed his eyes.

"Watanami-san, I am afraid that your presence here is no longer required. Please see yourself out." Ranma smirked as the belligerent detective's face purpled. The young martial artist's grin turned positively smug as Hitoichi continued talking, as if the other man had already left the room. "Now then, Saotome-san, let us continue."

Ranma nodded and tracked Watanami's progress to the door. If looks could kill, both Ranma and Retsu would have been little more than dust. Hitoichi-san didn't speak again until Watanami was completely out of the room.

"Before we continue Saotome-san, I would like to apologize for my colleague's rudeness."

"There's one in every bunch, Hitoichi-san." Ranma waved him off.

"Be that as it may, his unprofessional behavior will be punished." Ranma nodded. "I should probably ask you again if you would like legal counsel present during this interview. It would go a long way to safeguarding your interests."

Ranma shook his head.

"I hate lawyers. Besides, you said I ain't being charged with anything right?" Hitoichi and Yoshizumi both nodded. "Then there ain't no need ta have some crooked ambulance chaser interrupting me every five minutes. You're both trustworthy, and that's good enough for me." 

"If that is the way you want to proceed, then by all means let us continue." Ranma nodded, motioning the detective to continue. "You were saying something about your father being incapable of summoning the monster."

"Yeah. Pops is sneaky as hell, but he's too damn lazy to put the work into breaking the Seal." Ranma paused and tapped his chin. "Not to mention there's no way he'd be powerful enough to do it, even if he wanted to."

It was obvious from the rapidly scribbled notes and the way that Hitoichi closed his eyes after a moment that the man probably had a thousand new questions for Ranma. He could certainly sympathize with the officer's plight; he was having trouble assimilating everything himself…and he had a life-time's worth of new…er, old…memories to help him see a bigger picture.

"So you are certain that your father had nothing to do with this then?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to say, your testimony will not change the fact that he is going to be in jail for a very, very long time." Hitoichi folded his hands before him on the table.

"The man made his bed." Ranma glared at his dull reflection in the table top. "I always knew that his crap was gonna catch up to him sooner or later. I tried to warn him, you know? But he'd always laugh me off or try and blame all his crap on me."

"Would you like to speak to him?"

Ranma shook his head.

"He's an adult – let him deal with his own problems." He sighed. "Heaven knows that he never gave a damn about my troubles, beyond saving his own hide."

Hitoichi nodded and pushed the binder aside, motioning for Yoshizumi to pull up a chair.

"Let us move back on topic then. What can you tell me about these…" He checked his notes. "…Rhakshasa."

Ranma shrugged.

"From what I'm getting from Aramas' memories, they were agents of Entropy."

"Aramas?" Yoshizumi asked.

"Aramas Drumheller. Me from my past life." Neither interviewer made a comment about his statement, skeptical or otherwise.

Both were too taken aback as Ranma's demeanor seemed to change before the interviewers' very eyes. One moment he was a brash young man, and the next he seemed to become a hardened soldier. His back stiffened and his face lost all emotion.

"I was a member of the Royal Guard, assigned as the personal guardian of Princess Serenity the Seventh. Part of my duties were to know and recognize any threats arrayed against the Royal Line. The Rhakshasa were a militant race from prior to the Silver Millennium that sold their souls to Entropy for unimaginable power. They are organized into a strict caste system, divided into the four Varnas, and further sub-divided into thousands of individual castes that are aligned with a tribe or Raj. The Raj are generally content to fight amongst themselves, looking for supremacy over one another in order to gain favor with Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Ceylon. Their castes are generally mixed when a Hunt is called. One such Hunt was responsible for the destruction of Janus and its moons, between Mars and Jupiter, along the outer rim of the inner planets."

The interviewers shifted uncomfortably at the toneless, and almost encyclopedic, manner in which Ranma was delivering the information. Neither said anything to interrupt him until they were certain he was finished.

"What else can you tell us about the Rhakshasa?"

"The Rhakshasa are a varied race of animal headed monstrosities, with the ability to shape shift and use dark sorcery. The creature I fought today was most likely a mid-level member of an elite-class scouting party. They are invulnerable to all forms of mundane weaponry made from steel and iron, with cold iron being a notable exception. Purified silver and gold are poison to the lower and middle castes, while both offensive and holy magic do permanent harm to all Rhakshasa. It should be noted that more magical power is required to harm the more powerful Rhakshasa; but a mixture of purified gold and silver in sufficient quantities is enough to weaken a Rhakshasa of any class."

Ranma blinked and turned his head to the side nervously as Hitoichi-san continued to scribble his notes. It was bad enough to have the memories, but to have them take control…that was something else entirely. Ranma was no novice when it came to identity crisis, but even he was starting to think that maybe it was time for a nice long vacation to a Shrink Farm.

"Well, that is a positive sign at least." Yoshizumi-san smiled, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence. "Magic notwithstanding, we know that they can be hurt by technology well within our reach."

"It's gonna take a lot of purified gold and silver ta get the job done Yoshizumi-san." Ranma sighed and let his head drop into his palms. "I ain't saying it can't be done, I'm just warnin' ya that it ain't gonna be easy ta put these things down with just silver bullets."

"Curious." Hitoichi-san tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if that is where the werewolf myth came from."

"Probably." Ranma nodded. "The Rhakshasa weren't recognized as a cohesive society until a little under a decade before Queen Serenity the Sixth sealed them away. With the fall of the Silver Millennium, I'm sure that refugees scattered themselves all across the Earth. Most regions and societies probably had their own horror stories that got passed down and corrupted over the years."

"Fascinating." Hitoichi-san shook his head and scribbled another few lines to his note pad. Ranma leaned back in his chair and let the man think. Yoshizumi-san took the silence as an opportunity to openly study him, making Ranma feel more than a little uncomfortable.

"Is there anything that you can tell us about the young women that fought alongside of you today?" Hitoichi folded his hands in front of his face and leaned forward a bit.

"Past or present versions?" Ranma smirked and shrugged. "To be honest, my brain's a bit scrambled from everything that's happened. I don't know the girls all that well, at least not their present incarnations." He paused for a moment and rubbed his temples. "I had enough contact with the Senshi, in one form or another, during Aramas' life to give you their favorite colors, blood type, and personal pet peeves."

"But?" Yoshizumi-san prompted.

"But, none of them are the same as they were during Serenity the Sixth's reign. Me neither for that matter." Ranma frowned for a moment, looking at the pad of paper across from him skeptically. "Why do you want to know?"

Yoshizumi shared a nod with Hitoichi, prompting the man to answer the question.

"Saotome-san, as of today the world has become a bigger, scarier place."

(oo0/8/0oo)

Usagi stifled a yawn as she finally walked free of the interview.

"We're terribly sorry for keeping you up so late, Serenity-sama."

"Not at all, Himira-san." Usagi smiled brightly at the tall man in the black suit. "I understand completely."

"Due to the hour, we've taken the liberty of reserving a number of hotel suites for you and your friends at the Keio Plaza across the street. I believe that some of your companions have already made their way over."

Usagi bowed to the smartly dressed woman beside Himira-san, who returned the bow – only deeper.

"Thank you for your kindness, Odowara-san."

"No, thank you. We owe you our thanks many times over."

Usagi was too tired to deflect the compliment, so she simply nodded her head.

"Take care, Serenity-sama. And thank you again for the autographs. My girls are going to go nuts." The man in the black suit beamed proudly, warming Usagi's heart in the process. It was nice to feel appreciated after all the sacrifice.

"Please give them my best wishes, Himira-san."

"I will." He nodded.

"Before we forget Serenity-sama," Odowara-san handed Usagi a thick envelop. "Umasho-san asked me to pass this on to you."

"Thank you." Usagi blinked tiredly at the fat envelope, uncertain what it was.

"There should be a letter inside explaining everything."

Usagi nodded and bowed again as the pair walked down the hall. She looked up at the woman who had accompanied her into the interview and fought down a giggle at the wide-eyed, glassy expression on her face. Obviously she was not the only one feeling the effects of the long interview.

The government representatives had been very cordial and accommodating, bringing in snacks and drinks when it was apparent that they needed them. Their questions hadn't been too bad either. They were just questions that required a lot of clarification on her part. They asked her about how she became a Senshi and, of course, she had ended up having to tell them the whole thing from the beginning. Nothing would have made much sense without a solid grounding to build from.

They had seemed fairly skeptical about her reincarnation, multiple resurrections, and all the Silver Millennium stuff, but they hadn't said anything to discourage or mock her. She appreciated that a great deal. It was hard enough to believe herself…and she had lived it; so she could understand their skepticism. After having a better grasp of things, they asked about past battles and how they ended up defeating their enemies. That of course had taken even more time to explain. She had gone from Beryl to Ur, highlighting all the major encounters but glossing over the details. It was apparent to her, or at least to Princess Serenity's memories, that they were fishing for more information than she should give. So, she gave them just enough to satisfy, without weakening the Senshi's effectiveness in battle.

She had turned the discussion away from taboo topics, through an artful use of silence and asking questions of her own. By the time the interview came to a close, Usagi had become fairly good friends with the men and women questioning her.

All in all, it was thankfully something less than she had expected. They hadn't once asked her about Pluto's declaration, or her relationship with Mamoru or Ranma. She had been puzzled at first about the oversight, but decided that if they didn't ask then they didn't need to know. Still, she supposed things could have been worse and was thankful that they had turned out as well as they did.

She wasn't about to take full credit for the smoothness of the interview. She had a hand in everything, but the aid and intervention of Aino-san's lawyer at the very beginning of the proceedings had certainly set the tone for the night. After talking with Setsuna, he called in some more people from his firm to represent the Senshi on behalf of their parents. When asked about how they were being paid, Pluto said that it was taken care of and let the matter drop. Usagi, as nervous as she had been, didn't think to pursue the topic further. Especially once the interviews got under way.

Minako, who had been the first to disappear behind closed doors, had by far suffered the worst of all the Senshi. Her dad had to be escorted from the interview after the first five minutes, because he couldn't stop yelling. That had made Usagi extremely nervous, considering the way her father kept fidgeting and pacing. She knew that at some point they were going to have a confrontation about all of this, and she wasn't looking forward to it in the least. She sighed and looked at the woman walking beside her. The dazed look was the same as a few minutes before, and Usagi knew that the poor woman was running on autopilot.

"Are you going to be okay, Funikoshi-san?"

The lawyer blinked and turned to face Usagi. She quickly bowed in embarrassment.

"I'm terribly sorry, Serenity-sama! I didn't mean to ignore you!"

Usagi patted the woman's arm.

"Please. Don't worry yourself about it." She smiled impishly. "I completely understand how strange all of this must be for you."

"Yes. I suppose you can call this a bit strange." The woman grinned.

"Only a bit?"

The woman laughed.

"Seriously, Funikoshi-san. There is no need to apologize."

"Thank you, Serenity-sama."

"Nonsense! You are the one that deserves the 'thank you's'. I don't know what I would have done in there without you."

"I think you handled yourself very maturely."

Usagi smiled again.

"In fact, it would be my honor to serve you again, should you ever need my services."

"I would like that very much." They continued down the hall in silence for a bit, until Usagi saw something in the woman's demeanor change. "Is there something wrong?"

Funikoshi-san frowned and shook her head.

"No. Not particularly."

"But something is bothering you." Usagi was very appreciative of her past life's memories at that moment. It made dealing with people so much easier. "Please tell me what's on your mind."

"I expected more."

Usagi nodded.

"Me too."

"They had quite a bit of information on you, which would indicate that they have been aware of you for a long time."

"Yes, that kind of freaked me out too."

"What I don't understand is why there weren't more probing inquiries. I mean after hearing the whole story, start to finish, I have a million questions."

"Maybe I gave them too much to think about? You know, overloaded them?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Funikoshi-san didn't look convinced. She stopped, forcing Usagi to halt beside her. "May I see the envelope they gave you?"

Usagi nodded and handed it over. The woman scanned the contents, pulling out the introductory letter and giving it a quick once over. After perusing the note, she handed it off to Usagi and shuffled through the rest of the things in the envelope – holding each up for the blonde to see.

"Key card to a hotel suite. Itinerary for your day tomorrow, so that you will be prepared to meet the Emperor. Credit card to pay for formal wear and to get a make over. And last but not least, a pamphlet on etiquette when dealing with the Imperial family."

Funikoshi-san whistled. Usagi wanted to faint.

"You grabbed somebody's attention today, that's for sure."

It was Usagi's turn to feel the shock and awe of the moment. In light of everything that had been happening, she hadn't thought too much about the invitation Omashu-san gave her and Ranma at Tokyo Tower. There just hadn't been time to think about what it meant to have dinner with the Emperor of Japan. She felt an unreasonable panic well up inside of her, and realized that no matter how much she wished otherwise, this wasn't a bad dream and she wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon. Funikoshi-san took up her hands and held them tight.

"Don't worry, Serenity-sama. Everything will be all right in the end."

"I wish I could say I believe you."

"What's not to believe? You are Sailor Moon, Champion of Love and Justice. If you can take down monsters like the one I saw you guys fighting on the news today, then meeting with the spiritual symbol of our nation and his family will be a snap!"

"Thank you, Funikoshi-san."

"No more of that now. After everything that's happened tonight, please call me Shinobu-chan."

"Thank you, Shinobu-chan."

Shinobu winked and smiled.

"What are friends for?"

The two shared a laugh, until they heard the sound of pounding feet coming from behind them. Usagi and Shinobu turned, and were surprised to see Ranma barreling down the hallway. The light glinted off his new golden bracers and his blue silk shirt shimmered beneath the artificial light. Seven or eight men in black suits were trailing behind him. He slid casually to a stop in front of the pair and eyed the corridor critically.

"You were scared." He said flatly. "Are you okay?"

Usagi nodded, trying not to be shocked by Ranma's appearance. More footsteps could be heard coming from the other direction. Everyone watched the other end of the hall expectantly. Tuxedo Kamen, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, and Mercury rounded the corner at full speed, looking for the danger to their queen.

"What's going on?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

"You're late as usual, that's what." Ranma growled.

"Boyfriends?" Shinobu ask out of the corner of her mouth. Usagi shook her head.

"Reincarnated big brother and my future consort."

"Ahhh." Shinobu eyed both men critically. "Which is which?"

"This is Aramas..." Usagi pointed.

"Ranma." He corrected.

"Ranma." Usagi amended. "And this is Tuxedo Kamen."

Ranma snorted derisively and rolled his eyes.

"Tuxedo Baka is more like it."

Jupiter coughed to cover a nasty case of giggles. Tuxedo Kamen's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Ranma!" Usagi admonished.

"Well, I ain't in a very nice mood tonight." He glared at the men in black suits darkly. They backed off noticeably. "And I ain't about to apologize to the penguin, either so don't even ask."

"What crawled up your butt and died?" Jupiter asked with a scowl. Ranma jerked his thumb behind him at the men, but didn't say anything else. The government agents straightened themselves, and one brave soul moved forward to confront Ranma.

"Mr. Saotome, we still have a few questions to…."

Ranma waved his hand negligently and started to walk away from the crowd.

"I answered all the questions I'm gonna answer. So, you guys can take your questions and shove em up yer…"

"RANMA!" Usagi blushed and sputtered.

"WHAT!" The martial artist stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around.

"Why are you being so mean to them? They're only doing their jobs."

Ranma spun on Usagi and began ticking off reasons on his fingers.

"I'm tired. I'm hungry. I stink. And I hurt. They won't tell me where the damn bathroom is. They won't tell me where my mom is. And they just made me put my old man behind bars for the next fifty years or more. I get this nagging feeling you're upset and maybe in danger and…"

He closed his fists, causing the tendons in his fingers to pop loudly. 

"I'm in a mean mood. If they wanna push me any more, I'm sure as hell going to push back."

He glared at the men, who decided to leave while they were still able. One of the suits reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope similar to the one Usagi had been given. Ranma watched him carefully as he set it on the floor at his feet, and then the man turned and silently joined the others. Mercury moved forward and collected the package, then moved to Ranma's side. He accepted the package with a nod, but didn't bother opening it.

"Mars said that our mothers are together in a waiting room by the elevators. Do you want to go see them?" Mercury slipped her arm in his and looked up at him. Ranma nodded again and then sighed.

"Yeah." He looked at Usagi pointedly. "You gonna be okay?"

Usagi smiled and nodded tiredly. Ranma seemed appeased and the couple started to leave, but Shinobu quickly stepped in front of them. She swallowed nervously as Ranma's eyes narrowed darkly.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir. It's just that there are some things about that envelope that you should know about."

Ranma glared down at her, causing her to shuffle anxiously.

"Who are you lady?"

Shinobu laughed uneasily and quickly bowed.

"Shinobu Funikoshi. I'm a lawyer with the Amamichi firm. It's a pleasure to meet you." She bowed again, deeper this time.

"Yeah." Mercury discretely elbowed him. "Uhm, likewise. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I've got a long trip home. So, could you get to the point?"

"I'm sorry to keep you. It's just that, according to our hosts, arrangements have been made for all of you to stay at the Keio Hotel, across the street from this building."

"Really?" Jupiter asked.

"According to the people that interviewed Serenity-sama, yes."

"Well, at least the bastards gave us something for wasting our time." Ranma grumbled.

"Would it be okay if I looked at the contents of your envelope, sir?"

"Ranma." The young man corrected, handing over the envelope. "Just call me Ranma."

"Of course, Ranma-san." Shinobu quickly paged through the contents, nodding as she went. "This is pretty much the same package that they gave Serenity-san. The key card to your hotel suite, an itinerary for your day tomorrow to get you ready for the dinner with the Emperor, a credit card to pay for your formal wear and anything else you might need. And last but not least, the pamphlet on etiquette when dealing with the Imperial family."

Ami snatched the last one up, while everyone else looked on enviously at everything else Shinobu had held up. Ranma just rubbed his temples, obviously fighting off the exhaustion that was slowly overwhelming him.

"Thanks, Shinobu-chan. You shortened the distance between me and a bed." He smiled weakly and bowed to her. She returned the gesture and held out the envelope, which Mercury collected as she looped her arm around his waist. Usagi watched the pair slowly shamble down corridor with concern. The things that Ranma had gone through tonight concerned her a great deal. Long lost memories of her past life and the lessons she had learned at the foot of her mother's throne started stirring in her mind.

"Shinobu-chan, do you have Umasho-san's number?"

The young lawyer dug in her suit pocket and nodded, holding up the man's business card.

"Call him and see if it would be possible to have you join our dinner party, please."

"M…Me, Serenity-sama?"

"Yes, Shinobu-chan. I have a feeling that we will need a good lawyer. And with that in mind, I would like you to represent our interests from here on out."

"Bu…but…."

Usagi turned on the sputtering woman and rested her hands on her shoulders.

"I have faith in your abilities, Shinobu-chan. I can also see that you are an honest person with a good heart. I'm going to need people like you to help us through the tough times that are coming."

"I'm humbled and honored by your faith in me, Serenity-sama. Truly. But I don't think that my superiors will allow me the honor of serving you."

Usagi turned to her Senshi and tried to put on her "Princess" face.

"Senshi Pluto."

The Senshi of Time stepped forward and knelt before her queen on one knee.

"Your Majesty."

"Please take Shinobu-chan and inform her superiors of my desires. Shinobu Funikoshi is to be our chief legal counsel from this day forward. If her firm will not support this, you have my permission to use whatever funds and resources that are necessary, and at your disposal, to secure her services and make it possible for her to serve Our Court."

"Yes, your Majesty."

The lawyer's jaw dropped and her knees wobbled as Usagi spoke.

"You're serious." She blinked and shook her head. "This is for real…you're for real!"

Usagi winked and smiled.

"Yes. Yes. And…Yes."

"I can't believe this."

"Believe it."

It was obvious from the look of joy on the young woman's face, that she was trying not to dance and scream in an effort to maintain her professionalism.

"I want you to understand that we," She motioned to all the Senshi gathered. "…are counting on you to represent, not only us, but our families and loved ones as well. I don't know what the future will hold for us, but I do know that it will require a sharp mind, a stout heart, and I expect, many, many sleepless nights."

She let the weight of her gaze fall on the young woman, just as her mother had taught her when the Moon Kingdom had been at the height of its power. The change in Shinobu Funikoshi was drastic and immediate. Usagi hadn't been expecting the woman to kneel before her as Pluto had done, nor had she wanted the woman to pledge herself to her.

"I'm your woman, Serenity-sama. I won't fail you."

Usagi hadn't expected it, but she would take whatever miracles she could get right now. She looked at her Senshi and saw approving nods from one and all. An undisguised expression of pride adorned Tuxedo Kamen's face and that, more than anything, made Usagi's heart swell.

Past and present were fusing together in spurts and flashes. Her full heritage had awakened, and while she didn't know when or if she would have full integration with her past life, it seemed that she could at least hope to have a bright future.

In spite of everything the world decided to throw at her.

(oo0/8/0oo)

Ranma and Ami found their mothers in tears and, upon learning the reason for their sadness, it took every ounce of influence Ami could muster to keep the enraged martial artist from destroying the building. Sadly, she couldn't save the door to the lounge or the wall beyond it – Ranma had to vent somehow; and to be honest, Ami wanted to do more than a little property damage herself at the moment. Ranma's fury made his mother cry even more, but they were joyful tears. She could see the relief etched on Auntie Nodoka's face, but hidden behind that fragile mask lurked a great deal of grief and sorrow.

The poor woman begged him, on her knees, for his forgiveness – promising to swear whatever oaths he required for absolution. Ranma gently lifted her into his arms and gave it unconditionally without hesitation or requirement. Ami felt tears welling up in her eyes at the young man's kindness and felt suddenly out of place. Her mother seemed to feel it as well and started to leave, but Ranma stopped them both with a desperate look. It was obvious that he was struggling to keep his eyes open, and Ami understood that he just didn't have the emotional strength to care for his mother alone. It took all three of them to guide Nodoka out of the building and into the Keio hotel's lobby. Luckily, the government officials had seen to it to dissuade any of the staff from impeding their exit from the building.

Whether it was foresight, or simply good fortune, Ami didn't care one whit. All she knew was that Ranma's patience was threadbare and ready to snap; considering what they'd put Auntie through, Ami wasn't all that inclined to defend them either.

The stares the received would have unnerved Ami, had she not been so focused on Ranma and his mother. Looking back on their trip to the registration desk, the shock of the hotel staff and the few patrons still frequenting the lobby was extremely comical. She couldn't imagine that they saw an honest to goodness Sailor Senshi walking into their establishment very often...if ever. The fact that Usagi, Mamoru, Rei, and Makoto followed them into the hotel must have been a treat for all of the people lucky enough to see them. No doubt there would be gossip flying through out the building tonight, and paparazzi storming the hotel by morning.

Ami groaned and cursed Destiny's sick sense of humor as she sat on a couch in Ranma's suite. Events hadn't been kind to her today, and were she not so bloody tired, she'd probably be crying herself to sleep tonight like Ranma's mother. Comparatively though, she had suffered nothing next to Ranma.

The young man had been so pissed at the reception desk, upon learning that his mother did not have a reservation. The temperature in the area dropped considerably, and a ghostly blue aura sprang up around him causing his hair and tattered clothing to dance on a silent wind. Ami's mother had seen this and immediately shoved Ami into his arms and told her to take him up to his room. Ranma reluctantly complied, but only after Yuriko insisted that she would take care of it.

Now she was seated here, in her Senshi fuku, staring out the window of an expensive hotel suite nibbling on sandwiches. Ranma was in the shower getting cleaned up, but Ami didn't feel as embarrassed as she thought she should. If anything, it felt completely…ordinary. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying not to focus on the memories of her life as Isis.

Unfortunately it wasn't working so well.

"This is insane!" She huffed, tossing her half eaten sandwich back on the platter before her. She needed something else to occupy her mind. The question was, what? She'd already read the stupid etiquette pamphlet twice, and that only brought back memories of court life during the Silver Millennium. She sighed again and ran her fingers through her hair.

She needed a shower too.

A rather naughty memory of a holiday with Aramas at some nameless beach resort on Venus flashed through her mind, causing her to blush furiously. She quickly passed through the sliding door that opened onto the balcony, seeking to cool off.

The breeze was wonderful and welcome, soothing her tired mind and easing her tension. She could almost hear her libido crying out in protest. She tried not to think about that too much, focusing instead on the sickle shaped moon setting in the west. It looked so large, sitting on the horizon as it was. How long had it been since she just sat and looked at the moon like this? Two, maybe three years? It wounded her to think that it had been so long since she'd taken such a simple pleasure. She could remember Isis, sitting on a balcony of the palace and looking up at the Earth as it filled the night sky, thinking the same thoughts.

There were probably a thousand different problems that she needed to be solving right now, but all she could do was stare up at the moon and wonder. What would happen tomorrow? What would happen between her and Ranma? Did he like her? Did he remember the desperate love Isis had for Aramas? Would he care?

"You okay?"

Ami jumped and held her hand over her heart. She turned and her eyes bulged. Ranma stood in the doorway, with a towel wrapped around his middle and another scrubbing his long hair…and nothing else. Her face could have fried an egg from the heat she was emitting.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle ya."

Ami shook her head and tried, unsuccessfully, not to stare at the sculpted and rippling muscles of the young man's body. Ranma looked down at himself and blushed as well.

"My clothes are pretty much shot and I'm too damn hot to wear a robe."

"Yes you are…." Ami mumbled. She clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. She did not just say that out loud! Ranma's blush deepened and a small grin blossomed on his lips. Ami looked at her feet and prayed that someone would just shoot her and get it over with.

"Thanks." He wrapped the second towel around the back of his neck and leaned on the balcony's railing.

"You're welcome." She mumbled.

Her stomach flipped and flopped in a chaotic dance of emotion. She tried to think of something else to say, but her mind was a complete blank. It was as if someone had come in and just wiped every thought clean. The only thing that seemed not to leave was the image of his perfect body backlit in the doorway. The silence stretched long, but soon it wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been. It took her a while to gather the courage to join Ranma at the balcony rail, but when she did, all was right with the world again.

"Thanks for ordering the sandwiches. They really hit the spot."

Ami looked back to see the plate all but scoured clear. She didn't realize that she'd ordered so many, and when they'd come she had grimaced at the thought that they'd go to waste. Looking at the single sandwich he'd left her, Ami realized that she had been moving on autopilot…reacting, as Isis would have. It was both disturbing and exciting at the same time.

"I'm glad you enjoyed them. I can call down for some more if you'd like."

Ranma shook his head and smiled at her.

"I'll have a big breakfast in the morning."

Ami nodded and looked back to the moon. Ranma watched her for a long time before speaking again.

"You never answered my question." Ami looked at him quizzically. "You okay?"

"Oh! I'm sorry." She nodded her head. "I'm doing as well as can be expected all things considered. It's just been a long day."

Ranma sighed.

"Tell me about it."

The silence stretched again, but this time it was obvious that Ranma was agitated. Ami started to get worried the longer the silence grew.

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Ranma shrugged again. It was clear that he wanted to, but didn't know how to start. Ami pursed her lips and wrinkled her nose thoughtfully. Inspiration struck like a shooting star. Ranma had presented her a mystery, and she knew how to solve mysteries.

"My mom once told me that we can solve any problem, no matter how big, by breaking the large problem into smaller ones."

"This is a pretty big problem." Ranma smirked.

"Is it your mother?"

"Naw. No matter what those bastards say, she's still my mom. They can't take her from me, no matter how many laws they throw at us."

"Okay. It's not your mom. How about your father? Is what happened tonight troubling you?"

"A little. I mean I can't say that the Fat Panda didn't deserve what he got, 'cause he did – every last bit of it."

"But it still bothers you that he was being punished." Ami pointed out.

"Not so much that he was being punished, as it was that they were using me to punish him. It was like, by getting me to tell them the truth about what happened while we were training…."

"You felt like you were betraying him." Ami finished. Ranma nodded hesitantly.

Ami touched his warm shoulder, drawing his eyes to her.

"You didn't betray him. I know it must seem that way now, but your father chose to do a lot of very irresponsible and inexcusable things. He chose…not you." Ranma turned away from her. "You can't hide him from the consequences of his actions, Ranma. No one can. If you do, then you are guilty of a greater crime."

That got his attention.

"How so?"

Ami thought for a moment, trying to come up with an appropriate allegory to get her point across.

"If you were a father, and you saw your child holding a knife what would you do?"

It was Ranma's turn to think.

"Have I trained them to use the knife?" Ami shook her head.

"No. They are too young."

"Well, then I'd take it away."

"Would you teach them that knives are dangerous?"

"Of course."

"Now, imagine that you are the parent and your father is the child. Your father has been playing with the proverbial knife all his life. He might not have understood how wrong it was, but now he has the chance to learn. The question is: will you allow him to continue playing with this dangerous knife, or will you take the knife from him and teach him to respect how dangerous they are?"

"Take the knife?"

Ami nodded and smiled.

"If your dad isn't held accountable, he will continue to hurt himself and others with his actions. You have taken the opportunity to help him become a better man. You might not be able to change him, but you've helped him get to a point in his life where he can change himself."

Ranma laughed and shook his head.

"Somehow, I can't see the Old Man turning over a new leaf."

Ami smiled warmly.

"Maybe he will or maybe he won't. That isn't as important as giving him the chance to change."

Ranma nodded and fell silent again. After a while the tension in the air built again.

"There's more to this isn't there?" Ami asked. Ranma grunted. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Don't really know how." Ranma confessed.

"Is it about what happened at the Tower?" Ranma nodded and Ami was starting to see what the problem was likely to be. "It's about Aramas isn't it?"

Ranma looked at her shrewdly. After staring into each other's eyes for a very long time, Ami smiled.

"I'm feeling a bit off myself." She admitted. "I can remember what it was like before and feel all of these strange, yet wonderfully familiar, emotions surging through me. It's scary."

Ranma watched her, refusing to interrupt.

"When I first became Sailor Mercury, I was out of my mind with excitement. It was an opportunity to stop thinking and planning, in favor of doing. But, when Luna told me that I was the reincarnation of the Princess of Mercury…well, that's when things got really complicated." Ami turned to regard Ranma for a moment. 

"But what if…" He trailed off, uncertain of just how to phrase his concerns. Ami watched his internal struggle patiently, and when it was apparent that he couldn't find the right words she laid her hand over his.

"Are you worried that Aramas will replace Ranma?" He nodded; shocked that she had pegged him so clearly. "Well, when I first found out about Isis, I felt much the same."

"And now?" Ranma asked quietly. He looked at her with a certain morbid curiosity that made her want to chuckle. "Who are you?"

"I'm both." Ami smiled at Ranma's dissatisfied frown. "Why should I have to be one or the other?"

He shrugged. Ami paused and thought about how best to approach this new problem.

"Let me ask you this. When you learn a new technique, do you stop using the old ones?"

"Of course not. That'd be stupid."

"Exactly. Now what happens if you combine the old knowledge with the new? Do you become stronger?"

"Sure. Sometimes you can even come up with something completely fresh." Ranma looked out over the city thoughtfully, but Ami forged ahead to bring the point of her lesson out in the open.

"That is the realization that I came to. Isis of Mercury is the old technique, and Ami Mizuno is the new. If I combine them, I become a better and stronger person than I was before. I don't give up one or the other. I become someone completely new, someone that I choose to be."

Ranma looked at her in wonder. It was as if a whole new world had been opened to him. He looked so adorable that she couldn't help but kiss him. When she realized what she had done, she was over come with embarrassment and looked down at her feet – unable to meet his gaze. He calmly lifted her chin so that he could see her blushing face.

"Who was that from?" He whispered hoarsely.

"Both." Ami whimpered.

Her heart was beating so hard she felt it was certainly going to explode. Ranma nodded and bent his head closer. Ami closed her eyes, and soon felt the warmth of his breath against her lips.

Her kiss had been short and sweet. Ranma's kiss was long and searching. Ami's arms slowly reached around his neck and drew him close, willing him to feel all the emotion she had for him – past and present. When the kiss ended, Ranma was supporting most of her weight. Her knees felt like rubber and her head was spinning. All she could do was look into his beautiful stormy eyes and smile.

"Who was that from?" She asked reverently.

Ranma's smile beamed in the light of the setting moon.

"Both of us."

(oo0/8/0oo)

The Millennial Flagship Arbiter was the pinnacle of technology for the Silver Millennium. It was designed by the best to reflect all that was bright and good about Serenity's empire, therefore it was a beautiful but deadly ship that had many purposes – warship, political symbol, exploratory vehicle, and colony ship to name a few.

Serenity commissioned the ship to be a united effort between every planetary government within the system. Its design, fabrication, and operation were handled by a number of inter-planetary teams that had but one goal: to create the greatest overall starship they could. And in the end, they achieved their aim. The beautiful behemoth became everything Serenity dreamed it would be…and more.

At 12,850 meters wide at the wing, and 7,500 meters long nose to tail, the ship was monstrous. Its hull was made of a highly resistant, regenerative crystal matrix that had been grown over a skeleton of the empire's strongest alloy. At full capacity, it would hold and sustain a crew compliment of close to 350,000. It was meant to be a traveling society in and of itself – Serenity's envoy to the rest of the galaxy. Unfortunately, that dream was never realized and to Hathomet's mind, it never would.

"Mother?"

The Elder Senshi of Mercury lifted her head from the rather hard data pad that served as her pillow for the last fifteen minutes. The soft sound of Mahat's voice filled her cabin again.

"Yes, Mahat?" She discretely thumbed the drool from her lip and wiped the data pad clean.

"I have the final reports that you asked for, Mother."

If there was one crowning achievement that had come from the creation of the Arbiter, it was its shipboard computer. It was the first truly "living" artificial intelligence, and Hathomet's own daughter, Isis, had created it. The junior Senshi had always wanted a younger brother to spoil and tease but, due to the cruelties of life, Hathomet had never been able to provide her one. So, in typical Mercurian style, Isis bypassed the rather inconvenient steps of biological conception and pregnancy, and created Mahat herself. She programmed everything, from top to bottom, and designed the ideal personality according to her needs and desires.

By the time the Arbiter was complete, Mahat was a reserved twelve year old who was terribly shy around beautiful redheaded females. Isis had installed him herself, and Hathomet had never been more proud. Mahat was tasked with a number of systems that were too complex, too redundant, or too dangerous for humans to handle. And in accordance with her daughter's design, the A.I. did it with style and enthusiasm.

Hathomet couldn't deny that her "son" was terribly cute; and in light of recent discoveries, she was glad that she had him to lean on. After all, he was quite possibly the last remaining family she had alive.

"Could you summarize them for me please? Bottom line only."

"Yes, m'am." Mahat's voice was even more subdued than normal, which meant only one thing: the news was bad. "Final casualty report: 2,013. Names have been catalogued in the main logs. Med Bays report serious injuries in 1,349 crewmembers that prevent them from returning to duty indefinitely."

The elder Senshi heaved a great sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"And the ship?"

"Over one third of the systems have failed or are in the process of failing. I am rerouting power from negligent or redundant systems to conserve power and salvage what I can. The hull has regenerated over seventy nine percent of the damage it has taken, but the remaining twenty one percent cannot be addressed while we are in transit."

"What systems are down?"

"Thankfully, nothing too important. Botanicals nineteen through thirty cannot be salvaged, life support and security to various decks have been shut down, and the aft weapons platform is inoperative. I have taken up the slack of the minor systems that were knocked out without any trouble."

Hathomet frowned thoughtfully before nodding.

"Well done. Make the weapons systems a priority." She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "We've no idea what's happening out there, and I'd like to be as prepared as possible for any surprises we might encounter. With that in mind, do we know what the cause of the drive failure was?"

"Yes, Mother." Mahat's voice held a hint of fear. "It was sabotage."

A rather lengthy string of Jovian swear words violently split the air before the elder Senshi of Mercury could stop herself.

"Please delete all reference to the words I just used from your memory, Mahat."

"Yes, Mother." The A.I. giggled.

"Have the saboteurs been apprehended?"

"Yes m'am. Auntie Morgan has detained three of the eight-person team and they are currently awaiting the Queen's justice in detention center theta. The rest are reported to have perished in the attempts to capture them."

"What does Morgan have to report?" Hathomet steepled her fingers in front of her lips.

"The saboteurs were definitely Terran Separatists working under orders from Beryl. Initial intelligence suggests that they used temporal diffusion technology to weaken containment in the Maxim Loop of their targets."

"That would explain the extreme temporal displacement we've experienced." Hathomet signed and began massaging her temples. "Orders to Head of Security: Gather all intelligence possible by whatever means necessary. Once they are satisfied, please summon Elder Senshi Mercury and Venus for execution of Queen's Justice."

"What will happen to them, Mother?" Mahat asked curiously.

"You have access to the legal code, Mahat. Traitors and murderers gain no clemency from the throne. Their crimes are enforced by capital punishment."

"Will it hurt?"

"I hope so, Mahat. I genuinely hope so." She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "ETA to Terra?"

"Fourteen hours, forty seven minutes."

"Have you been able to decode the visuals we've intercepted from Terra?"

"Yes Mother!" Excitement laced his voice. "You'll never believe what they've been broadcasting either! They've come such a long way with their entertainment! Some of it is rather confusing, and I've taken the liberty of constructing a new database for languages, social and cultural education, and general reference."

"Anything important to us?"

"None of the communiqués are mana-based, so I can't be certain of how recent they are. Most of their methods seem rather primitive to be honest, but the closer we draw to Terra, the more advanced things become. Wait a second…."

"No! Way!" Mahat paused, fully drawing Hathomet's attention in the process.

"What is it?"

"Mother you've got to see this!" A holographic screen lit up from her data pad, replaying a very familiar battle. The audio seemed garbled as Mahat played with the transmission, but the Elder Senshi of Mercury wasn't too concerned with that. What really caught her attention was the image of memorable young woman and a young man with a very strong resemblance to a familiar Royal Guardsman. They were fighting a Rhakshasa…badly.

As Hathomet watched the playback, she cursed their poor skills up until the young woman changed. Neither Isis, nor her mother for that matter, had ever had the desire, the focus, or the power to achieve the Immortal Transformation. Such magic was intense and required an incredibly intimate connection to Mercury to pull off. She didn't know who this young warrior was, but it seemed that she was definitely something special.

Hathomet wondered if she was a descendant or an appointee?

The Elder Senshi shifted herself into a more comfortable position and let the visuals play out. By the end of the next two hours she found herself in tears at the knowledge that the young Senshi of Mercury was indeed someone very special. She was Hathomet's baby girl. She was Isis, and against all odds she was alive!

(oo0/8/0oo)

Ur watched the shadows bleed from the walls and slowly coalesce into a puddle at the center of his throne room. He had always found the magical display terribly theatrical in his youth, but now…now there was a symmetry to the way the Rhakshasa chose to travel. Their mastery of bending the ambient light, literally sucking it up and overpowering it at times, was very poetic. They refused to be held back by the laws of the Universe. No. They refused to acknowledge the laws others placed on the Universe.

Ur, after spending ten millennia trapped in his silver prison, understood and respected that concept all too well. It was that epiphany, which allowed him to free himself of Serenity's justice. He was no longer bound by her magic, because he chose not to be. It was a fine distinction that allowed him dominion over these demons he led. It was why the great and terrible Pashas feared him, and it was why Samallaham himself stepped from his throne to name Ahbrim Ur the Lord of the Hunt.

To many of the Rhakshasa, and those few humans under his care, Ur held the power of a god. To Ur, godhood was but one name for self-actualization…he no longer cared for titles, but the term was fitting. Ur was the god of his dominion, simply because those around him gave him that distinction. Their expectations gave him power. Their faith made their fears a reality. Who was he to challenge their beliefs?

"I have news my lord." The tiger headed Rhakshasa bowed humbly before the throne. Ur stepped down and clasped the demon on his shoulder.

"Rise, Old Friend. We are alone here, and I've no need for your piety." He swept away to the balcony as Indra rose to his feet. "What news have you brought me?"

"Orima Tene yet lives." Indra spoke carefully, gauging the former Atlantean's expression as they stopped at the wall. Ur looked towards the rising moon and smiled.

"So it does."

The pair stood for a long time, listening to the blowing wind as it rushed past them. Ur found the sound mournful, yet gratifying all the same.

"We will focus our hunt here for the time being." Ur thoughtfully stroked his goatee, pondering the large crescent shape hanging on the horizon.

"But my lord, if they should some how send aid…"

"Orima Tene sported a population of little under five million souls at the height of its power. Without Serenity or the rest of her kingdom to support and to bolster their gluttony, the city may as well be a tomb." The Lord of the Hunt looked to his companion and smiled. "Had they been a threat, would they not have attended that farce in Tokyo to pay homage to their new King and Queen? No, my dear friend, I cannot see Serenity's Throne as a viable threat at this time."

"Should we not prepare contingencies? It would be arrogant to think…."

Ur spun quickly on his companion.

"Of course it would! Do not think I am ignoring their potential as a threat. I am simply saying that there are other ways to cripple their usefulness."

"How so?"

"Take their King and Queen and you win the battle, dear Indra." Ur turned back to the night sky. "These people are all about symbols. Destroy those symbols and they will flop aimlessly about, like fish on the shoreline."

"Shall I move against them then?"

"For the moment, no." Ur paused and weighed the constellations that were so different from the ones he remembered. "They have the look of children about them, and that may be of use to us. Let us move subtly for a time, before we press the hammer to their necks. We will use their innocence as a weapon, and if they can be turned then so much the better."

"No power in the Galaxy would stand against us!" Indra grinned toothily. "Not even the Dam'Turiel!"

"You begin to learn Old Friend." Ur smiled and turned his attention back to the stars. "Is the weapon ready for deployment?"

"Primed and ready for teleportation, my Lord."

"We shall deploy it then." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I believe midnight tomorrow will suffice – a bit ahead of schedule, but my father always said that it was better to be a little early than late."

Indra's feral smile was overshadowed by the bloodlust in his eyes. Ur nodded, placating the demonic being with a pat on the shoulder.

"The chaos will cripple any outside involvement, and while the rest of the world reels, we will strike other targets. The prides will attack their objectives with a fury that will drive terror into the hearts of these primitive sheep."

Indra's eagerness grew palpable.

"Make the final preparations and return to me." Ahbrim Ur closed his eyes as a cool mountain breeze caressed his exposed flesh. "I have a message for you to deliver to the Rulers of Earth and Heaven."

The Rhakshasa bowed humbly before leaping away to do its master's bidding. Ur simply smiled and enjoyed the frigid night air. The morrow would be a great step in reshaping the world. The gods alone knew the Earth would never be the same again.

(oo0/8/0oo)

Ranma watched as Ami stifled a huge yawn. The light filtering into the room from the open curtains of the balcony window caused her to glow, leaving Ranma feeling a little breathless and light headed. He blushed heavily as he walked across the room from the bathroom, unable to take his eyes from her sleepy form. She stretched languidly and rubbed her eyes, causing the pajama shirt she'd claimed from him last night to lift and expose her flat, well-toned belly. Had he not been so distracted by the sight of her skin, and the sudden deluge of memories that rose up, he might have avoided smashing his toes against the table leg. He snatched up his injured foot, crashing his knee into the table and subsequently over turning it. The loud crash and Ranma's string of blistering curses startled her, as he hopped around the suite clutching his right foot.

The whole scene must have been terribly funny to watch, as Ami couldn't stifle her giggles. Ranma looked at her crossly as he fell into a large and comfortable leather chair near the television.

"I'm sorry…" Her giggles increased and a smile slowly spread across Ranma's face as he watched her. "Are you okay?"

She was so beautiful – even with mussed hair and no makeup she looked like an angel. He nodded and smiled as her mirth was slowly replaced by embarrassment.

"What?" She asked defensively. Her hands began to fidget and nervously smooth her hair.

"Please don't." He was as surprised to hear the request as Ami was. She paused and looked at him quizzically.

"Why?"

Ranma shrugged.

"I like the way you look."

Ami looked at him askance.

"You're joking right?" He shook his head. "But I must look horrible!"

Ranma shook his head.

"You look perfect ta me." Ranma felt an almost liquid warmth flood his heart as Ami blushed more and demurely began to play with the sheets. They sat like that for a long time, lost in their own thoughts, until Ami finally looked up and smiled broadly.

"Thank you."

"No need." Ranma replied.

"No, I mean thank you for putting me to bed last night."

Ranma nodded and shifted uncomfortably as their positions were suddenly reversed.

"I didn't want you to have to sleep on the couch." Ami nodded and continued to pluck and smooth the sheets. "You looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake you either."

After a few moments of silence, she looked up at him awkwardly.

"Did you sleep here too?"

Ranma began to wave his hands back and forth in a panic.

"No! I mean I wanted to…uhm that is…I uh…awww, crap."

He hung his head in defeat and listened as the sheets rustled as Ami left the bed. He waited patiently for the slap or whatever retaliation his slip of the tongue had earned. Ami's long, sculpted legs came into view and Ranma closed his eyes expectantly. To his amazement, the anticipated blow never fell. Instead, Ami slid onto his lap and forced Ranma to look up at her in surprise. She carefully lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist and leaned her forehead against his, looking him in the eye.

"It's okay."

Ranma swallowed hard, uncertain of her meaning, and for once in his life he hesitantly asked for clarification. It seemed too important not to understand her meaning.

"What's okay?"

She smiled and began playing with his hair. He closed his eyes as she ran her fingers along his scalp and almost purred. She didn't answer his question though.

"I'm remembering so many different things about our pasts, things that make me feel so comfortable around you."

He nodded in understanding. He'd felt the same way.

"It's what I've always imagined marriage to feel like, you know?" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. "I feel like I've found a missing part of my soul."

He knew exactly what she meant. He felt it too.

"I know all of this is sudden, but it feels…"

"Perfect." Ranma smiled and finished the thought for her.

"Yes." The brightness of her smile dazzled him.

"I know what you mean." He paused, trying to find the right words to express himself. "I feel it too."

Ami's expression grew concerned.

"But?"

He shrugged uncomfortably.

"It's like you said…everything is happening so fast. It's hard to keep up, you know?" She shifted uncomfortably on his lap, moving as if to get up, but Ranma held her firmly. "Don't get me wrong Ami-chan. I ain't sayin' that I don't have feelin's for you."

He sighed and leaned his head against her shoulder. She began absently massaging his neck with one hand and playing with his bangs with the other.

"Any fool would be stupid not to." He closed his eyes and took another deep breath.

"You don't have to say anything more."

He could hear her voice tremble slightly and silently cursed himself. He pushed her away from his so that he could look into her eyes.

"Now don't go jumpin' to conclusions! You're beautiful and I know that Aramas loved Isis with everything that he had. Hell, his greatest regret was not marrying her." Ranma's brow furrowed. "I…damn it." He hissed. "I suck with words!"

He pulled her in close and breathed in her sweet smell.

"You gotta understand something. I'm scared." It took every ounce of his courage to admit that fact. The moment he did, his courage failed him and uncertainty flooded his heart.

"What frightens you?" Ami's voice was warm and encouraging, and he knew that she would never ridicule him for his fears.

"There's lots of stuff, I guess. Most of all, I'm afraid of the past repeatin' itself." He finally admitted. "I lost ya once already, and I lost Akane too. I couldn't stand to lose you again. All I could see was that damn thing standin' over you, threatening to take you away from me, and it was too much. Toss in everything else that's happened over the last twenty four hours and I'm really confused."

"Are you scared of making a mistake?"

Ranma looked up at Ami's guarded face and frowned.

"Yes. But not the mistake you're thinking." He sighed and worried his lip, trying to collect his thoughts. "You ain't a mistake Ami-chan. Not to Aramas, and sure as hell not to me. The mistake isn't having feelings for you, it's pushing too fast and too hard."

"I think I understand." She nodded. "Does that mean you think I'm pushing you too fast?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "But I do know that I still got lots of baggage weighin' me down, not to mention all of this other crap we're dealing with."

He caressed her cheek softly.

"You deserve better this time around, Ami-chan. From what I'm remembering, Isis got the shaft so many times because of duty and circumstance." Ami let her hand slip down to rest in the crook between his neck and his bare shoulder. "I…I…ain't too good with emotions and stuff, so be patient."

She nodded and remained silent, giving him the time he needed to sort through things. He chuckled and shook his head.

"You know, a week ago, I would have been hanging form the ceiling over something like this. But since yesterday, it's like my eyes have been opened and I'm seeing everything from a new perspective."

"How so?"

"I lost so much time with Akane by dancin' around my feelings, and when I finally realized that she was gone I regretted never letting her know what she meant to me."

He absently began rubbing Ami's back in a way that had always comforted Isis. Each stroke was a small circle that went from the base of her neck down to the base of her spine. Ami seemed to relax.

"I ain't got time to play around here, but I want to do right by you. I don't want to rush things and screw it all up, but I know if I wait…things are just gonna get worse." He growled and then sighed heavily. "Damn! I'm so flamin' confused!"

Ami leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, caressing his face softly.

"To be honest, so am I." She confessed. "Do we try and pick up where things left off with Aramas and Isis? Is that even really fair?"

"You're a special woman, Ami-chan. I don't want to hurt you like I hurt Isis and Akane. It's just…"

"Too much, too fast." She finished for him.

He nodded lamely, feeling like a jerk. He knew that he wanted something to happen. Last night had opened his eyes to a number of wondrous memories that were impossible to ignore. Isis made him so incredibly happy – she completed him in ways that no one else ever had. And now, Ami was doing the same thing. He felt terribly guilty for even indulging in that happiness; in a way it felt like he was betraying Akane's memory too.

"I'll make a deal with you." Ami interrupted his thoughts with a soft smile. "We let things pace themselves for a while. If they go slow, that's fine. If they move quicker, that's fine too. In the end, if we feel uncomfortable with the speed things are moving at, then we step back and slow things down."

Ranma smiled and nodded, a gesture that Ami mimicked. They stared into each other's eyes for a long time, slowly drifting closer and closer to one another as the seconds passed. Their lips eventually met and Ranma relished the charge he felt from the kiss. When they broke apart, Ami's face was flushed with excitement.

"Are you comfortable with this?" She asked breathlessly.

In response, Ranma captured her lips and lost himself in the moment. Ami leaned into him, pressing her body as close to his as possible and wrapped her arms around his bare torso. It was safe to say that neither of them had felt anything quite so exquisite in this life, and both were intent on enjoying the novelty of the experience to the max.

Had they not been quite so distracted, they might have heard the knock at the door. Had they been a bit more attentive, they might have heard the voices of their mothers and the other Senshi entering from the hall. Had they been just a hair more observant, they would have seen the expressions of shock, wonder, amusement, and joy on the faces of their friends and family.

Sadly, they missed it all: Usagi's expression of giddy excitement, Minako's eagerness, Makoto's obvious confusion, and Rei's envy. Had they but cracked an eye lid, they would have seen the disturbing sight of Nodoka and Yuriko pushing and dragging everyone out into the hall, while simultaneously waving victory fans and dancing a happy jig. All in all, it should have been the most embarrassing moment in their lives…but it wasn't. It was a perfect moment that both would remember for thousands of years to come.

(oo0/8/0oo)

The giggling excitement and remarkable amount of fanning in the hall was a sight to behold. The fact that it was coming from the mothers of Ranma and Ami made it all the more surreal. Usagi and the other girls were easily swept up in the spirit of things. Sadly, their celebration of a lost love renewed was squelched by the arrival of Artemis, Luna, and Pluto. The two Mau were surprisingly human at the moment, which only made the group that much more noticeable.

It wasn't so much their presence that was the wet blanket, as it was their oddly shell-shocked expressions. When Usagi asked Luna what was wrong, the Mau opened her mouth to educate her charge but was curtly cut off by Pluto who, gently but forcefully pushed the Crown Princess of the Moon Kingdom into Ranma and Ami's room. The kissing pair had progressed into something much steamier, but thankfully still retained their clothes. From the naughty grin on Artemis' face, he'd been waiting for an opportunity like this for ages.

"Guardsman! Senshi! Royalty on the deck!"

Both Ranma and Ami jumped to their feet and reflexively stood at attention. In the time that it took their minds to catch up with their bodies, Artemis was rolling on the floor laughing uproariously. The fact that the white haired Mau was not alone in catching the pair, left both teens totally embarrassed. Pretty much every woman in attendance growled at the laughing advisor and kicked him as they passed into the room. Not that the fool noticed. He was too busy trying to catch his breath and wipe away the tears to care about a little pain. Ranma and Ami did their best to right their clothing and smooth their hair while Pluto walked around the room.

"What are you doing, Pluto?" Rei asked as she settled in an armchair near the balcony. The Senshi of Pluto merely held an index finger to her lips and summoned her Garnet Rod to her. With a complex wave and a small violet flash, a series of small pops issued around the room. Another wave of the staff summoned a number of tiny, technological doodads to float above her out stretched palm. Surprisingly, it was Minako that made the connection first.

"You can't be serious!"

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"They've got our rooms roached!" Minako screeched. Ami started to correct her when the implications of what the blonde had said filtered through. Her face found its way into her palm to hide the growing blush she was currently suffering from. Ranma on the other hand looked ready to kill. He'd had more than his fair share of privacy invasion in Nerima, to have some government spook perving on him…that was unforgivable.

"I wonder if they would be willing to make copies of the video for posterity?" Nodoka asked during a lull. All heads swiveled to her with varying looks of disbelief on them.

"We'll ask the Emperor tonight." Yuriko clapped excitedly as she bounced in place. At the rate Ranma and Ami were headed, she'd be a grandma by the end of the year!

Ranma wasn't the only one to stare at Ami's mother incredulously. Ami made the most of the opportunity to make good her escape to the bathroom. No amount of coaxing seemed to lure her out of the room until her mother told the young genius that she had her spare clothing. Even so, Ami merely cracked the door and snatched the garments out o her mother's hands with a speed that Ranma openly respected. Makoto took that comment as the opening she needed to begin her verbal assault on the pigtailed martial artist.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" She growled.

"Sitting here, waiting for Ami-chan to be done so I can use the toilet." Ranma's eyes were closed meditatively, which gave him the added benefit of pretty much ignoring Makoto and everyone else in the room.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She protested. "How could you embarrass Ami-chan like that?"

Ranma cracked an eyelid at her accusation.

"I wasn't the one who barged into someone's room without knocking was I?"

"Well…" Makoto floundered for a moment. "You should have locked the door!"

Ranma looked at Minako pointedly.

"Are all little sisters this bitchy, or is it just her?"

Minako grinned and mouthed "Just her" earning her a slap on the shoulder from Rei. Makoto, on the other hand, could only stand and stare at Ranma in shock.

"Sister?" She whispered.

Usagi squealed with delight and latched onto the taller girl in a grand rendition of the Amazonian Death Cuddle, which was only one step down from Genma's Cradle of Hell technique.

"Mako-chan! We share a brother!"

Ikuko and Kenji Tsukino entered into the room behind Minako's parents in time to hear Usagi's declaration. Unfortunately for Nodoka and Yuriko, neither woman had seen or really registered everything that had occurred yesterday. They didn't understand that Usagi was Ranma's reincarnated sister, nor did they know of their royal status. In the manner and tradition of Nerima, assumptions were made and unrealistic logic applied. Genma Saotome was cursed even more for his apparent infidelity. Upon seeing and meeting Usagi's mother Nodoka, rather than demonstrate the traditional jealousy that most would feel towards the other woman, embraced Ikuko in a fair imitation of Usagi and with tears in her eyes named the woman her sister.

The whole event left Ranma twitching on the floor.

Usagi soon joined him when the mothers ignored reality completely and began to bond by discussing their desire for grandbabies. Poor Kenji was left completely confused and wondering whether or not his wife had an affair with Ranma's no good father. It might explain the hair….

It took Pluto several minutes to straighten him out, but the women ignored all attempts to correct the misconception. By that time, the rest of the Outer Senshi had arrived, along with Mamoru and Rei's grandfather.

Ami, upon hearing the commotion, gave into her curiosity and left the safety of her bathroom. Ranma took the opportunity to relieve his bladder and escape the raging estrogen beast that the room was becoming. It wasn't until Luna exploded that the crowd settled down enough for Ranma to feel safe enough to return. He was just in time to see the frustrated Mau rush over to the room's television and begin flipping through the morning newscasts.

Most were uncomfortable or embarrassed in seeing images of themselves from the day before, flitting across the screen. Yet that embarrassment became awe when Luna stopped on one channel with the by-line about a city being discovered on the moon. It was then that the room exploded into noise and chaos again. Questions were fired back and forth, people were yelling for everyone to "shut up" so the news cast could be heard, and next to Ami (who had decided to exercise some initiative by taking out the Mercury Computer and hacking a satellite to try and contact the city in order to get the story from the source), Ranma's stomach growled loud enough to cause everyone's conversations to stop and stare.

"Good Lord!" Kenji whispered in fear. "That monster sounds worse than Usagi's!"

"DADDY!" Moon Princess or not, Usagi was still a teenage girl and nothing was more embarrassing to a teenager than their parents.

Ranma blushed and shrugged apologetically, while Nodoka followed Ami's productive example and took the initiative to order room service for everyone. Ikuko, knowing her daughter well, told her new "sister" to triple whatever she was ordering. By that time, Pluto had re-established some semblance of order and was calling or everyone's attention. The television was turned down and eyes found their way to the Senshi of Time.

"Ami continue what you are doing. Let me know if you have any success."

The Senshi of Mercury nodded and went back to re-tasking an old British spy satellite to send a message to the city on the moon.

"For the rest of you, we have much to do and not a lot of time to do it in. The first order of business is the question of the credit cards you were given yesterday."

"What about them?" Minako asked guiltily. Her father stepped behind her and began growling, causing the poor girl to cringe.

"We will be returning them to the government when we visit the Palace tonight." Pluto said as she began collecting the cards.

"Why? I mean I thought they were a gift for a job well done." Minako winced as her father's hand found its way onto her shoulder.

"Yours is not to question why, Pumpkin." Minako's wince became a full-blown grimace at her father's use of her old pet name. "Yours is to simply obey."

Pluto, seeing the look of guilty fear on the face of the Senshi of Venus, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"How much is the bill, Minako-chan?"

Minako felt the grip on her shoulder slowly tighten, much like a vice.

"…maxed…."

The gathered Senshi "eeped" loudly as the man's voice exploded in an indecipherable rant about irresponsibility and the need to grow up and act like the young lady she was. It took Pluto even longer to calm Minako's father, and that only lasted a minute before the man started tearing into the Senshi of Time. Ranma came to her rescue by judiciously applying the Shiatsu version of the "Vulcan Pinch" to the braying man. Minako, for her part, looked at Ranma with adoration and began begging him to teach her the trick.

"Later Minako-chan." Pluto said authoritatively. "I want a detailed list of everything you bought." When the young woman didn't move, Pluto narrowed her crimson eyes dangerously. "Now, Minako-chan."

The quiet, even sound of the woman's voice scared the blonde worse than all of her father's harsh roaring combined, and so it was little surprise that she wasted no time in complying with Pluto's command.

"So, how are you going to pay for V-chan's little shopping spree?" Haruka lounged against the balcony's door jam.

"Do you think that I sat twiddling my thumbs while I waited for everyone to wake?" Pluto asked with a grin. "I've had quite some time to make all of the Senshi very, very wealthy."

This of course caught everyone's attentions.

"Wealthy?" Makoto asked.

"Wealthy." Pluto's cool grin was just a tad bit smug. "You really don't think that I would leave the Princess destitute now, do you? Or any of you for that matter."

"When were you going to tell us about the money?" Rei asked from her pillow on the floor.

"Preferably, after your graduations from high school. Each of you was going to win a number of healthy scholarships to pay for college, and beyond that…the rest would have been a wedding gift or something similar. To be honest, I hadn't planned on using the Royal Treasury or any of the trust accounts I had set up in your names unless it was an absolute emergency. Since this most definitely constitutes an emergency, I figure we can afford to dip into our coffers a bit."

"How much are we talking here, Pluto?" Mamoru asked as he settled next to Usagi. No one but Ami and Pluto saw the way Ranma's eyes narrowed dangerously at the back of the man's head.

"Available liquid assets? We have multiple accounts, scattered throughout just about every government in the world. We could comfortably buy the city of Tokyo twice over at current market value, and still have a little bit to spare." She paused and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If you add into that picture all of the real estate, investments, and historical artifacts…well, I think it's safe to say that we are, collectively speaking, the richest people on the planet."

"Whoa!" Ranma whispered.

"Why so much?" Usagi asked in a quiet voice. "And why keep it a secret?"

Pluto sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of Usagi.

"First and foremost, when establishing a new government you can never have too much money. I had no idea what the future truly needed, in spite of the clues and visions I had from the Time Gates. So, rather than be caught unprepared, I did as much stock piling as I could."

"Better safe than sappy." Minako's mother nodded sagely. The rest of the Senshi looked between the woman and her daughter with sudden comprehension, as if a very frustrating puzzle had just been solved.

"Something like that, Aino-san." Pluto grinned and shook her head. "In then end, you must understand that the future is never set in stone. All we have are probabilities."

"So, Chibi-Usa?" Usagi asked hesitantly.

"Is a certainty, but not necessarily from the same happy future we're working towards." Pluto answered. "I can give you a lecture on causality another time. Suffice it to say that, right now you will never have to worry about finances again. As to why I kept it from you, to be blunt…none of you were ready to handle that amount of wealth, and to simply hand it to you would be irresponsible and teach you nothing."

Kenji and Yuriko nodded at the Senshi of Time's wisdom. If the girls had everything handed to them, there was no way that they would be strong enough to do the jobs that on they could do. Having them work for their dreams, gave them meaning and purpose.

"Be that as it may, from here on out we will be paying our own way." She looked at Minako as she entered the room again and frowned. "This doesn't give any of you a blank check, but it will allow you some latitude in spending. Bear in mind that we need to keep a frugal habit until we are better settled. Since I don't have the Time Gates to guide us right now, there is no way to know what we may end up facing."

"What do ya mean?" Ranma leaned forward. Pluto shrugged.

"There is a very real chance that the Japanese government will disavow us, in order to placate the rest of the major powers. If that happens, we will need to form our own nation and declare our sovereignty. With the discovery of Orima Tene that really won't be that big of an issue, but we will still need to have a political presence here on Earth."

"And buying an island or enough land to consider ourselves a small nation will not be cheap." Rei nodded in understanding. Looks of comprehension blossomed on everyone's faces, leaving Pluto to smile and bow her head to Rei.

"Exactly, although the real estate isn't truly the issue. We own six or seven small islands, and a number of other real estate ventures throughout the world. Outfitting them and making them secure however, will take a nice chuck of cash. Regardless, until we can be certain, one way or another, our spending should be thrifty." The rest of the Senshi sighed in disappointment. "For the time being, we will move forward under the idea that Japan will back us. We will wait for them to make the first moves and overtures and see where that will take us. If they support us, then we can allow them to be the ones to lead in the political dance with the other nations. We will only strike out on our own, should things get out of hand."

The Senshi and their parents nodded. Minako's father groaned on the floor as he returned to the land of the living, and glared at Ranma as his wife helped him stand. It took some time to update him about everything, but even he had to agree that the plan sounded good; not only that, but it allowed others to handle the things that they weren't ready to deal with. Unfortunately, not everyone was happy with the idea.

"I don't like it." Ranma grumbled. Ami shifted in his arms to look at him.

"What don't you like?"

"The whole idea." He looked at Pluto apologetically. "Sorry Pluto-san, but these guys are going to screw us over. They're already trying to take my mom away from me; who knows what they'll do once they have us under their thumb?"

"He has a point Pluto." Haruka rolled her neck and pushed off the door jam to stand behind Michiru. "They've had all of us under surveillance for how long now? How do we know we can trust them?"

"We can't trust them." Pluto said matter-of-factly. This of course set off a storm of chatter, until the Senshi of Time held up her hand for silence. "This is a case of accepting the lesser of two evils. Think for a moment. How much credibility will we have with the other nations of the world without a prominent ally backing us?"

Rei snorted and smiled cynically.

"I imagine we would have had a whole lot more if someone hadn't mentioned Usagi-chan and Ranma-kun being the rulers of the planet."

"The Advent was immutable, Rei. It had to happen in that moment." Pluto's tone was even, and laced with more than a little impatience. "It was one of the few moments that have been consistent in all of my viewings. There would be a battle, and from the ashes of that battle, Serenity would rise and unite the planet under her rule. The only difference here was the fact that Ranma was involved as well. He's never been in any of the viewings before."

"Won't that change things for the future?" Hotaru asked quietly.

"Undoubtedly." Pluto admitted. "But, at the moment I'm not too concerned about Crystal Tokyo. Truth be told, I don't know many of the details of Crystal Tokyo myself. I've seen images, experienced a few wonderful moments of the peace and prosperity we achieve there, and spoken with my future self at length on how to go about making the dream a reality. It exists, but for all we know, Ranma has always been there…just hidden from view. In the end it doesn't matter one way or another. We have more important things to deal with in the present, so all we can do is press forward and keep things in perspective."

"Fight for the dream here, and let the future take care of itself?" Usagi looked at the Senshi of Time and nodded, resting her chin in her palm. "So, we're trying to work within the system that we have available."

"Exactly." Pluto said. "It's going to be hard enough for the world to accept us on our own merit. When we add Ahbrim Ur and the Rhakshasa to the mix…"

"We have our work cut out for us." Usagi sighed.

"That is certainly the case, your Majesty. But we also have to step carefully so that the governments of the world do not see us as another threat."

"Threat? How could we be a threat when we're fighting to save lives?" Usagi asked.

"Many people won't see you saving lives, Honey." Ikuko slipped her hand over her daughter's. "What they will see are a bunch of young people, with powers and abilities that they neither understand nor control. That alone will be threat enough."

"Add to that the rather questionable declaration of you being the King and Queen of the Earth and Moon…" Minako's father folded his arms across his chest. "…and I can guarantee that many of the political factions have already targeted you as persons none grated."

Everyone blinked owlishly, the majority looking between Minako and her parents with sudden looks of fear. Ranma caught Haruka mouthing something to Michiru that had Hotaru cough into her hand and blush. He had no real clue what "S.T.D." stood for, but it couldn't have been all that courteous. Not that he really cared, Minako's father was starting to really grate on his nerves.

"I don't care what they think I am." Ranma growled. His dour mood shattered the moment like a sledge hammer. "I don't like the idea of working with people that are trying to screw with my family. If what Aino-san says is true, then no matter who we hook up with is going to use us and then stab us in the back the first chance they get, once Ur's been dealt with."

Haruka, Michiru, and surprisingly Rei, nodded in agreement.

"Sure, they'll try." Pluto admitted. "But it's better to use them as a shield against the other more aggressive nations, rather than placing ourselves more at risk by trying to set up a new government from scratch. We use their influence and resources to warn the other nations about Ur, and try our best to unify the world against his threat."

"And what happens when the Japanese government sells us out to the Americans or the Europeans in order to 'save face' or protect their own interests?" Rei demanded hotly.

"Let the future deal with itself." Usagi cuddled against her mother's side. "If we 'what if' ourselves to death, we're not going to get anywhere. We have to face the facts that we can't do this by ourselves."

"Her Majesty is right." Pluto interceded. "We just don't have the resources to fight the Rhakshasa on our own. Sooner or later, we're going to have to trust somebody."

"But what are we going to be giving up by working with that somebody?" Ikuko asked. She might not be a Senshi, but her baby was at risk and there was no way she wasn't going to be involved in helping where she could.

"We shouldn't have to give up anything." Pluto pressed. "We are working from the position of strength."

"We've already given up our anonymity." Ami mumbled from her seat on Ranma's lap.

"If they do try something, it will be subtle." Rei broke the silence. "They'll ask for 'assurances' and 'concessions' or something, and when we give them, they'll ask for more and more until the next thing you know, they've taken our freedom."

"But we're the only ones that can fight the bad guys." Makoto smacked her fist into her palm. "That's got to count for something."

"Exactly." Haruka said confidently. "If we see them maneuvering us into a position we don't like, we withhold our services and let them fight."

"No." Usagi countered.

"I'm sorry?" Haruka asked in confusion.

"We will fight the Rhakshasa whether they back us or not." She drew herself up regally and looked at each of the Senshi in the eye. The only one to actively meet her gaze was Ranma. "We're not mercenaries, and I refuse to let innocents suffer at the hands of those monsters."

"We ain't going to let innocents suffer, Usagi-chan." Ranma toyed with Ami's hair as she typed furiously on her laptop. "But, I ain't going to fight for a corrupt government. One way or another, we fight this battle our way and on our terms. If they want to play games and back us into a corner to protect their asses, then they can save themselves. We got other options to work with."

Ranma nodded to the television to emphasize his point.

"But Ranma…" Usagi started to protest.

"I've got them!" Ami shouted triumphantly.

"…Ju'ish te Renna Mammoni ul Orima Tene." The sound of a distinctly human voice filtered through the speakers of the Mercury Computer. Ami began working furiously and the voice suddenly began speaking Japanese. "This is Commander Renna of Orima Ten. With whom am I speaking?"

Ami looked to Pluto helplessly. The Senshi of Time smiled brightly and stepped closer to the computer as Ami turned it to face her. The handsome face of a young man with sandy blonde hair grinned excitedly as soon as he saw her.

"Ju'ish te Pluto Senshi, Renna Mammoni. Hal'kan re fuli."

The young man nodded and pressed something off screen.

"What did you say to him?" Rei asked.

"I asked him to turn on his translator." Pluto smiled as Commander Renna began calling for his superiors. "I suspect that it will be a while before we can get everyone back up to speed in speaking Lunarian, and I would like to have everyone understand what's going on."

"Senshi Pluto! Thank Serenity! It is so good to see your beautiful face!" An elderly man and a pretty middle-aged woman soon joined Renna on the screen.

"Flattery Commander Renna? How forward!" Pluto smirked as the man matched her expression.

"Is it working?"

The woman behind the Commander slapped him on the back of the head and shoved him out of the way.

"Senshi Pluto, we have seen the broadcasts from Terra. Is the Princess with you?"

"Before I answer your questions Lady, please tell me who you are and what your clearance level is."

The woman blushed and swallowed nervously at the steel in Pluto's voice.

"Jhenna Ahteil, Maiden of Thrones, Lady Pluto. Clearance Level Gold."

"And your companion?" Pluto nodded to the elderly man.

"Cadmus Zeus, Acting Regent of Orima Tene. It is a pleasure to finally see you again, Lady Pluto."

"Cadmus Zeus?" Pluto nearly squealed, causing the rest of the Senshi to go bug eyed. "Little 'Stormy Zeus' – Princess Serenity's Page?"

"The same, Lady." The older man smiled nostalgically.

"But how?" Pluto demanded.

"When Queen Serenity fell, may she know eternal peace, the fail-safes of Orima Tene came on-line. The capital was buried and after three years the Council of Regents decided to establish a cycle of rotating hibernation for the populace."

The man paused and looked to Jhenna, who blushed and jumped from the chair in front of the camera. Zeus sat down and ran a hand through his thinning hair.

"We were able to see bits and pieces of the final battle, and immediately after the Queen fell, Hamadraquel came to the Palace and told us of her last act and prophesied of the Senshi's rebirth. The Regents decided that we would do our best to preserve our culture for when our Princess returned to us. We've managed thrive in spite of all the challenges. It was the only thing we could think to do to honor Queen Serenity."

"You honor her more than you know, Cadmus Zeus."

"Princess Serenity?" There was a sudden struggle as the two younger figures jockeyed for a better position behind the Regent's chair. Cadmus Zeus smiled brightly and matched the tears that were streaming down the young woman's face.

"You've become an old man, Spore." She grinned and wiped her eyes.

"And the ugly duckling has become a swan." The old man countered. They laughed together until Ranma pushed his face around the side of the screen.

"Don't inflate her ego any more, Zeus. Before you know it, she'll be spending even more time primping in front of the mirror."

"Aramas!" The years seemed to melt from the man's eyes as he took in the new face. "Ha! I knew you'd make it forward. You were too stupid to stay dead!"

"Watch it punk! You're an old man now, which means I don't have to hold back any more." Ranma threatened.

"As if you ever did!"

"As beautiful as this reunion is…" Pluto interjected with a warm smile. "We have a busy day ahead of us."

"What do you need from us?" Zeus asked. His demeanor shifted immediately from playful to professional.

"One moment, Regent Zeus." Pluto lifted the magical laptop from Ami's lap and placed it on the coffee table in front of Usagi and motioned for everyone to gather around her. Once everyone was settled she looked at Usagi and Ranma. The pair in turn looked to everyone else for ideas.

"Intelligence." Ami spoke up from her place in Ranma's lap. "If we are concerned about the other world governments, then it would be best to begin finding out who is with us and who is against us."

"Senshi Mercury is right." Pluto nodded. "What types of resources do you have available for covertly gathering intelligence?"

"We have been monitoring all of Terra's media broadcasts since they began using the telegraph. The Palace war room is still under the Omega Protocols, so any and all tactical and military assets are unavailable to us at this time."

"The Royal Heirs and an Elder Senshi will have to be present in person to disable the Protocols." Pluto murmured.

"Heirs?" The Regent's curiosity was piqued.

"You said you were monitoring the broadcasts?" Pluto asked pointedly. Zeus nodded. "Then you saw the Advent. Aramas Drumheller was Queen Serenity's First Born and, due to the enmity between Onyx and Her Majesty, the secret of his identity was sealed to the Throne."

"Does this mean I have to kiss your knuckles and bow to your Magnificence?" Zeus smirked at Ranma.

"Only when I punch your face and pound your butt into the mat." Ranma countered. The Regent snorted and shook his head.

"So, when can we expect you?" Zeus smoothly redirected them back to the topic. "We have much more to discuss with you, Princess."

"Like what?" Usagi asked.

"Like the disposition of your people, Majesty. Especially the survivors of the Arbiter." He smiled and winked at Ami.

"…the what…?" The young woman's face paled.

"As miraculous as it sounds, the Millennial Vessel Arbiter was picked up on Avalon's remote sensors last night. The automated response sent the alert to us and, after triple checking the data, we made contact with her captain."

Ami began shaking her head in denial. Ranma wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close to him.

"Lady Hathomet and the bridge crew were unharmed, but the ship had sustained a great deal of damage." Zeus frowned seriously. "There were casualties, but we don't have any solid numbers yet."

"Ami-chan?" Yuriko laid her hand on her daughter's shoulder and watched in confusion as the young prodigy leapt from Ranma's lap and ran to the bathroom.

"I don't understand Lady Pluto…" The Regent seemed just as uncomfortable as Ami's mother. "I thought the news of Lady Hathomet's survival would be welcome."

"It is Regent." Pluto smiled reassuringly. "It's just a bit of a shock."

The man nodded. Pluto stole a look at the bathroom and smiled as Ranma, Yuriko, and Nodoka stood outside the door. Their voices were quiet, and after a moment Ami let them in. She shook her head and directed her attention back to Zeus.

"We are meeting with Japan's leadership tonight for a political dinner. I will come to Orima Tene immediately following to help you make the necessary arrangements for their Majesties arrival tomorrow evening."

"Shall I have anything waiting for you?" Jhenna Ahteil asked with excitement. It was evident that she was happy to finally have something to do. 

"I'll need you to bring me up to speed on the overall status of Orima Tene. We'll need a general census, a list of your available resources, and the immediate needs of both Orima Tene and the Arbiter. I will explain everything else as soon as I get there."

"How many can we expect to be joining you?" The Maiden of Thrones was definitely in her element.

"Our needs will be light. Plan for at least two, but no more than five." She looked to the bathroom thoughtfully. "When do you expect for the Arbiter to arrive?"

"By their best estimate?" Zeus interjected. "Tomorrow night. We've prepared for an earlier arrival, just in case they are able to make the necessary repairs."

"Very good. Should their situation change, please contact us as soon as possible."

"How?" Commander Renna asked.

"I'll have Mercury send you the necessary details. For now, please prepare to set up a permanent communication satellite. The rest we will discuss in conference."

"We look forward to receiving you." Zeus bowed his head to Usagi and Pluto in turn. "May Sahadriel guide and protect you."

"Goddess harbor you, Regent. Give our love to the rest of Orima Tene." Pluto closed the Mercury Computer and sighed. She sat on the couch where Ranma and Ami had been and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I have a feeling we will be very busy from here on out." Hotaru smiled softly.

"Pluto-san?" Ikuko looked worriedly over her shoulder at the bathroom. "Why did Ami-chan react so badly to the news about the Arbiter?"

Pluto sighed again and it looked as if the world was resting on the woman's shoulders.

"Ami, or rather Isis, had a large role in building the Arbiter. Many of her designs were used in its creation. When it was thought destroyed, she was broken."

"The ship meant that much to her?" Minako's mother asked.

"Not so much the ship, as the person that captained it." Usagi whispered to her folded hands in her lap.

"But I thought Isis loved Aramas." Minako scratched her jaw.

"She did. The captain wasn't a man." Pluto pointed out. This brought a number of gasps from more than a few of the women in the room. Haruka and Michiru glared at the sources of those gasps frigidly before returning their attention to Pluto.

"Lady Hathomet, the Elder Senshi of Mercury." The Senshi of Time looked at the bathroom door and shook her head.

"I remember her!" Rei covered her mouth. "She was the toughest trainer we had…more so for Isis because…."

The Senshi of Mars gasped.

"Go on." Kenji urged.

"Because she was her mother."

All eyes drifted to the closed bathroom door in shock. It was one thing to have your daughter being the reincarnation of a long dead princess. It was quite another to have physical evidence of that fact shoved in their face. Usagi's parents shared hooded looks with Minako's, silently wondering what it would be like to suddenly be pressed into such an uncomfortable competition for their daughters' affections. The Tsukino's didn't have to worry about that so much, since Queen Serenity had sacrificed herself for the Senshi. But, what would happen if the parents of Minako's past incarnation suddenly popped up? How would they handle the situation? Would Minako love them any less? How could they compare to such a larger than life figures?

Both prayed that they would never find out.

(oo0/8/0oo)

End Chapter 10


	12. Chapter 11

Progeny

By Jeffrey Vasquez

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

**Disclaimer: **

You know I don't own them. All characters and settings are used here without permission, except for those that I created myself. I can use them, because I gave myself permission to do so. So, Nyah!

**Forward:**

Many of you may note that the Imperial Family is a bit larger than it should be. Naruhito was married in 1993 to Princess Masako, and Princess Aiko wasn't born until 2001. Here everyone is a little bit older than that for the sake of my story.

**Special thanks:**

* arun2110 – Cited my super faux pas in regards to the science nuclear blasts – I re-wrote the end to hopefully seem a bit more realistic. He also pointed out that the Prime Minister was a doofus. That was pretty much what I was shooting for. I wanted the guy to come across as a puppet, rather than a true politician. He fails big time in a crisis of this nature. I've tweaked some of the opening interaction between the Senshi and the PM, so hopefully this will be a bit more obvious now.

* Also, thank you to all those who have stuck with me thus far. We are in the home stretch; three more chapters or so before we're all done!

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Progeny Chapter 11

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Leaving the hotel was something akin to Ranma's second greatest nightmare. Cameras were flashing, men were yelling unintelligible things at him, and girls were screaming their undying love for him. It was a hundred, no a thousand times worse than their exodus from Tokyo Tower the night before.

The JSDF and Law Enforcement were out in force, but that didn't make Ranma feel any better. The newness of his past memories already had him on edge, couple that with a visit to the Imperial Palace and the howling mob and it was little wonder that the young martial artist was on the verge of panic. Instincts honed over ten thousand years in the past suddenly came rushing to the fore, and Ranma subconsciously found himself striding in front of Usagi scanning the area for weapons and ill intent. It took him three quarters of the way to the government limo to realize what he was doing, and another three steps to shake off the surprise enough to get back to it.

It was the perfect opportunity for an assassin to strike…luckily, no one did.

Once Usagi, Ami, and the rest of the first limo's passengers were situated, Ranma broke from his vigilance and entered the car. He found himself reflexively sending out a passive aural scan of the driver before he even understood what he was doing. The technique wasn't exactly magical, nor was it truly a chi technique. It fell somewhere in the grey area between the two and Ranma was having a devil of a time remembering how it was done correctly. Still, if memory served, the driver was clean of ill intent. The only thing Ranma got from the stoic faced gentleman was a strong feeling of lust, which was completely understandable considering the outfits that Pluto had brought for the Senshi to wear. Ranma had more than a few thoughts himself when he saw Ami leaving her mother's suite.

Each of the Senshi wore the traditional gown of their respective kingdoms, complete with all the finery and pomp that went along with them. Simply put, they were well and truly goddesses to behold.

Ami's outfit was a diaphanous, translucent, blue fabric that was wrapped in layers around her body. It did nothing to hide her athletic figure, and the only thing that truly preserved her modesty was the stunning number of gold necklaces that covered her from the base of her neck to just below the bottom of her breasts. A chain-mail belt of gold and rubies was wrapped around her waist; much like a mini-skirt and Ranma had a difficult time taking his eyes off the swaying mesh of metal and jewels. She also wore a stylized Egyptian crown carved from ivory, jade, and lapis lazuli, as well as a pair of gold bracers that matched the ones that he now sported himself. With her eyes lined with coal, her lips painted blood-red, and the diamond-covered symbol of Mercury directly over her heart, Ami was beyond exotic – she was magical.

Yet, Ranma had to admit, that each of the Senshi shared this trait with the Princess of Mercury. Usagi looked like a living breathing angel, while Rei could have stepped exotically veiled from the pages of the Arabian Nights. Makoto wore a sheath dress that seemed to be made from iridescent scales, and hugged her in ways that were criminal. Minako wore something that looked equal parts cloud and light, with a strategically placed flower or three. Her mother, not to be out done by her daughter, wore one just like it. If Ami pushed the bonds of decency, then it was certain that Minako and her mom had utterly destroyed them. Her father was still trying, unsuccessfully mind you, to wrap his wife and daughter in a bed sheet.

The rest of the Senshi were just as stylish, from the elegant Michiru dressed in a gown of pearls to mysteriously veiled Hotaru in her richly embroidered black silks. The plainest among them were Haruka and Pluto, but even they seemed like goddesses next to most super models. There was no doubt that they would be setting fashion trends for the next several years to come.

The parents matched their daughters (much to the embarrassment of Minako's father), or in Ranma's case – son, in both style and colors. This above all else made Nodoka smile when Pluto presented her with an ornate black gown decorated in tiny silver crescent moons, so that she could match the stately black and silver dress uniform Ranma was wearing. It had been a shimmering platinum color when Ranma put it on, but for some reason the color changed moments later. Pluto had been beside herself, but had to admit that the more serious colors seemed to suit Ranma better. Mamoru brought up the rear, wearing the traditional costume of Old Terra. He seemed more than a bit girly with the fur lined cape and rapier, but who was Ranma to judge?

The parade route from the hotel was lined with people hoping for a glimpse of the Senshi behind the tinted bulletproof glass of the limos. Ranma was thankful that no one could see inside, especially after the hail of rocks was thrown by a group of surly men. It was the first sign of negativity they had seen, beyond a few passing comments on television, and Usagi didn't take it too well. She put up a brave front, but Ranma could feel her distress from where he sat. She and the others watched anxiously as the police swooped down on the perpetrators. The arrest was brief and violent, showing the group just how serious the government was taking the situation.

Ranma couldn't help but feel completely out of his depth.

The motorcade arrived at the Imperial Palace amidst another lightning storm of camera flashes. However, unlike the feeding frenzy of the hotel, the atmosphere at the Palace was much more restrained and reserved. The air was still oppressive to Ranma – it was just a different type of weight. He still felt claustrophobic, but there was a sense of age to everything here that hadn't been with him before. He exited first and held the door for the others, much to the consternation of Pluto. He could already tell that she was going to give him a lecture after the dinner was done. Old instinctual habits were hard to break though, and Ranma was certain that he was going to have to fight for his freedoms now like never before.

They were greeted and received with all the formality, pomp, and circumstance of visiting dignitaries. Everything was done with the careful attention to detail and manners that the Japanese are famous for, and again Ranma was left feeling like a fish out of water. It was only Ami's careful coaching this afternoon and a bunch of fuzzy memories of Serenity's Court that saved him from looking like a fool.

The initial meeting with the Emperor and his family was strangely anti-climactic – pleasant but still lacking something. The man was very approachable and had a ready warmth that brought a genuine smile to Ranma's face immediately. It wasn't until he met the Prime Minister that Ranma felt the weight of politics start to assert itself. The young warrior couldn't help but gauge the man as he would any threat to his peace, and what he saw staring back at him was not a man. It was a shark wearing a man's skin. The Prime Minister wasn't truly evil in the way that Marut was evil, but he wasn't exactly clean and pure either. If anything, the experience only served to solidify his earlier feelings of mistrust.

Others were introduced in a whirlwind of names and pleasantries, but it was the last three people that grabbed Ranma's attention most. The three women were the most disturbing people he'd ever had the privilege of meeting – that, in and of itself, pretty much said everything. He wasn't sure that there was one simple thing that set him off; maybe it was because they were introduced as his aunts, or because each of the triplets could have been a female Genma (had they less hair and worn a dirty gi). Either way Ranma, and many of the other Senshi, walked away feeling just a little more unclean. Had they not been in public, he was certain that even Usagi would have wiped her hands on her dress to get rid of the feeling. Thankfully the Prime Minister stepped forward and bowed to Usagi.

"It is our hope that you will feel welcome here Serenity-sama."

"The reception has been both warm and wonderful, Mr. Prime Minister."

Usagi bowed respectfully from the waist, but not deeply enough to declare herself of a station lower than the man. This seemed to stir quiet a silent reaction in the auras of those gathered – especially from the politicians in attendance. The Emperor seemed more than mildly amused if Ranma was reading things right.

"We thank you for your gracious hospitality." She bowed a bit deeper to the Emperor, but still remained aloof and in control. "We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who have worked so hard to make tonight such a magical evening."

She turned to Pluto and nodded. As the stately woman stepped forward, her arms were suddenly full of a long, silk wrapped bundle. This caused quite the stir among the security contingent, and Ranma couldn't help but grin at the tension that filled the air around the other politicians. They finally seemed to get the idea that the Senshi were honest to goodness magical girls. From his position opposite Serenity, Ranma could tell that the gift was a pole arm of some kind – a naginata or a yari perhaps.

Pluto knelt low and lifted the bundle to the Emperor. He accepted the gift graciously with a nod and turned his attention back to Usagi. She urged him enthusiastically, contrary to custom, to open the gift before the gathered guests. He attended her request with great care and precision, until at last the magnificent weapon was revealed.

Ranma, in all of his travels, had never come across it's like or equal. The lacquered black wood of the haft was polished to a mirror finish, while the long blade of the naginata caught the light in such a way as to seem aflame. It was a work of art; there was no doubt about it.

"This is 'Honoo no Tenshi' – the Flame of Heaven." Usagi grinned excitedly as she motioned to the weapon. The Emperor and his eldest son gasped in recognition and looked at the Moon Princess with wide eyes.

"But this…this can't be!" Prince Narahito exclaimed. "It was lost in 842 A.D., when Emperor Saga died. He entrusted it to his most favored geisha, who disappeared right after his death."

"And she has held it against the day it would be needed again." Pluto smiled softly. "The coming of that day is at hand, and thus I return it to your Majesty in the hopes that it will not only guard this august house and all who descend from it, but all of Japan in the days ahead." The stunned silence at this revelation left more than one jaw wagging as she bowed to the Crown Prince before slowly rising and returning to her place just behind Usagi's right shoulder.

Emperor Akihito traced a naked finger along the haft, causing the weapon to hum and the blade to twinkle with a corona of multi-colored light. More than one person gasped at the supernatural event. If only that had been the last surprise of the evening….

As soon as Pluto was settled, Usagi nodded to Rei. When the shrine maiden stood, the veil of gold covering her face shimmered and chimed hypnotically. All eyes tracked her movements as she made her way to each woman of the Imperial House, as well as the Prime Minister's wife. At each she paused and drew a blessing of flames in air above their heads and then produced an elegant box from seemingly nowhere to present to the Empress.

Rather than urging her to open it, Usagi directed Rei to lift the lid for the Empress. When the Princess of Mars did, the room was bathed in a soft white glow that made more than one person giggle. Ranma felt incredibly happy…happier than he'd ever felt before in his life. His spirit felt clean and his worries distant. He could just make out a large baseball sized pearl, nestled in a nest of navy blue silk. When the Empress turned to Usagi, the Moon Princess smiled softly.

"The 'Akari no Kibo' is meant to be a beacon of hope for the dark times ahead, your majesty. Let this light shine in the darkness for all the children of Japan."

The Empress nodded and reverently accepted the box from Rei, and after another moment of contemplation on the magnificent jewel she carefully closed the lid. The Emperor and Empress bowed deeply to Usagi in gratitude for the gifts and the evening's agenda moved forward again.

Dinner was served almost immediately, much to Ranma and Usagi's delight. The young hero found himself seated across from the Emperor with Usagi on his left and Ami on his right. Ami's mother sat beside her, and Ranma's mother sat one seat further down. The seating arrangements had been carefully choreographed, and Ranma was having a devil of a time keeping a frown from his face at the message being sent.

He couldn't see her very well, but even from where he sat, Ranma could feel her unease filling the air. She hid it well, but every once in a while she would look down the table at a trio of severe looking women and her anxiety would spike. Ranma noted the women out of the corner of his eye and immediately felt on edge himself. If these were his only other relatives, then his mother's fears were justified. He snorted internally, maintaining the Soul of Ice, as he thought about the situation. No matter what they said or did, there was no way in hell he was going to give up his mother.

The meal proceeded with quiet, inane conversation. Ranma, focused as he was on maintaining his manners and worrying for his mother, did not participate in the discussion as much as he probably should have. When the main meal was finished, the large group retired to another room for desserts and a light tea. It was here that Ranma felt a shift in the atmosphere again. There was a new weight to the formality, most of which was directed towards Ranma and Usagi. The young man fully expected the Emperor to be the one to break the silence, but in the end he found himself being addressed by the Prime Minister.

"It is our hope that dinner was to your liking."

"It was wonderful, Mr. Prime Minister." Usagi smiled warmly and patted her stomach daintily. On anyone else, it would have been silly – but the girl made it look graceful and appropriate, rather than pedestrian. It went a long way to easing Ranma's nerves.

"You have honored us with beautiful gifts and with a most enjoyable evening, Serenity-dono."

The Prime Minister raised his tea cup in a toast to everyone in the room. Ranma immediately felt the sharks swimming around him and felt, more than saw, that the waters they found themselves in were very, very bloody.

"Sadly, this evening was not meant solely for pleasurable pursuits. The leadership of Japan is most concerned with the events that transpired yesterday afternoon; most specifically, the declaration of…intent, issued by your servant, Senshi Pluto."

Usagi nodded her understanding, but when the politician turned his attention to Ranma, the man was met with the Soul of Ice. Stormy blue-gray eyes locked with brown and a battle of wills ensued – one that Ranma won hands down. The Prime Minister masked his defeat by looking to the Emperor to pick up where he left off.

"The People of Japan are most concerned, Serenity-dono. I am most concerned." Akihito rested his hands on the table before him and looked at Usagi without the grandfatherly affection that had been there a moment before. Here before them was the true Symbol and Voice of Japan, regardless of what outsiders may or may not think. "Tell me true, Serenity-dono. Will we be fighting for our rights, sovereignty, and freedoms as you seek to re-establish your kingdom? Will we name you as an enemy, or an ally in this fight against Ahbrim Ur?"

"My Court and I have no desire to consider you or the People of Japan our enemies, Akihito-sama. At this point in time, our goal is to defeat the menace looming over the heads of all the children of Earth. Anything that happens in the distant future is meant to be just that – a concern for the future."

Akihito turned his attention to Ranma.

"And you, Saotome-dono?" The Prime Minister asked bluntly. "What are your intentions towards the people of the Earth?"

"I don't pick fights Minister Hata. I finish them." The Soul of Ice was so thick around Ranma that everyone in the room could see his breath. "You leave me and mine alone, and we won't have any problems."

"That is good to know." Akihito jumped in. "It is a relief that we can all sit at this table as friends."

Ranma nodded to the Emperor and his family, clearly spurning the Prime Minister and the other guests.

"In light of this friendship," Minister Hata scrambled to recover gracefully.

Ranma didn't like the guy. He felt oily. But more than that, he didn't like the man's political ideology. He seemed fair and had a nice public face, but some of the stuff Rei had said about him left a bad taste in his mouth. The man was a puppet of the Zaibatsu and his focus seemed to be the bottom line, rather than the people he represented. RAnma was leery of any agenda the man might push.

"In light of this friendship, I would like to offer the People of Japan an alternative to the growing civil unrest."

_Here it comes._ Ranma couldn't help but frown in anticipation.

"The government would like to formally acknowledge the power and history of the Senshi, making the stories of your past available for those who wish to learn more."

"But you will retain your authority and the people have heroes to look up to." Usagi added thoughtfully.

The Prime Minister nodded and gave her a smile that was meant to be acknowledging, but came off rather patronizing. Oh, that was going to come back and bite him in the rear. Usagi, well Serenity actually, hated it when you talked down to her. Ranma wanted to laugh as he saw her eyes flash and her left pinky twitch. The man was so much ground beef….

"That is an acceptable direction to follow, Hata-san. I am, however, very curious as to how you wish to utilize the Senshi as national heroes."

The Prime Minister seemed confused for a moment, but rallied when the Emperor nodded his head. Ma! Ranma hated all this politico crap, even more now that he knew what it all really meant. Damn Aramas' memories to hell and back!

"Well, there are a number of ways to approach this, Serenity-dono. Public campaigning and social events are one avenue that would certainly bolster the community's faith in your benevolence; while closer ties to the throne would be another that would reaffirm your status as Japanese citizens."

_In other words…'We get the licensing and merchandizing contracts, and you get to be poster children for the government'_

Ranma took a deep breath and held it. He had to at least give the man credit; his world had just been turned upside down, and he was doing his best to put it all back together in the most familiar terms he could get away with. The problem was, there was no closing Pandora's box this time. There was no making sense of any of this scientifically, philosophically, or whatever. There was only accepting and adapting. This wasn't going to end well. Ranma just knew it. They were going to try and play some spin game that was ultimately going to end up biting him in the butt.

"And just what type of ties are we speaking of, Hata-san?" Usagi's easy smile was long gone now, and Ranma could already see that her mind was racing. She probably already knew all the possible offers they had thought to invent, it was just a matter of which one he was going to pick to lead with.

"Familial ties would be the best, Serenity-dono." The Prime Minister put on his warmest smile, which only made Ranma's hackles rise higher when the man looked at him. "Due to his biological parents' actions and abuse, Saotome-dono has become a ward of the state; as such he can be adopted into any family or clan with a clean slate."

"I already got a family, Hata-san" Ranma growled.

"Sadly," The Prime Minister pointedly looked over at the "terrible trio" that claimed to be Ranma's aunts. "…the Saotome Clan has officially stricken Genma and Nodoka from the registry for the shame they brought upon the Clan."

Nodoka choked back a sob and Ranma found himself immediately comforting her, while openly glaring at Genma's sisters.

"Without a proper family to guide you, are you truly setting the right example for the youth of Japan?"

"Proper family…?" Ranma could only stare at the man incredulously. Was this guy serious? How in the hell could he call himself a diplomat?

"Forgive us, Saotome-dono." The Emperor interceded before Hata could screw things up any worse. "In light of the many events that have taken place, as well as the knowledge that has come to our attention, we realize that you have not had the opportunity to confront your family about these events."

"Damn straight I haven't. That doesn't mean that I won't in the future." He glared balefully at the trio of hags, who had the grace to look more than a little unsettled by Ranma's statement.

"Be that as it may, Saotome-dono, the Saotome matriarch has given her permission to allow you to be adopted by a worthy family; ostensibly, to repay the debt their Clan owes you for failing to protect your interests from such a traumatic childhood."

"Come again?" He couldn't have heard that right. The Emperor's face became grandfatherly again, and Ranma felt the genuine concern the man had for him.

"In light of everything that has happened to you, Saotome-dono, your aunts do not feel qualified to look after your best interests."

"So they're dumping me on someone else, rather than deal with all the headaches that come with me?" He snorted darkly and shook his head. "Not too surprising really, it fits the Saotome pattern after all."

Ranma's aunts looked affronted, and Ranma felt his mother wince in his arms.

"Well, thanks for the offer and all, but I already got me a perfectly fine mother." Nodoka's hands clenched nervously. "Just out of curiosity though, who was gonna get saddled with me?"

It was with no little surprise that Prince Naruhito stood and presented both he and his family to Ranma.

"It is our misfortune to be unable to bare anymore children, Saotome-dono." The admission hurt, but the Prince and his wife were stoic in the face of their pain, and that was something that Ranma could easily admire. "While it is still possible for a male heir to be born to one of my younger siblings, it would be our greatest honor to adopt you into our family."

Okay, Ranma hadn't been ready for this curve ball.

"But what would that really mean for Ranma?" Ami asked hesitantly.

"For all intents and purposes, Mizuno-san, he would become my heir."

Okay. Ranma really hadn't been ready for that little bombshell either.

"That is most magnanimous of you, Naruhito-sama." Pluto said. It was obvious that Ranma was a little too shell shocked to respond. "But why is the Royal Household extending such an unusual invitation?"

It wasn't that their reasons weren't crystal clear to everyone in the room, but Ranma needed a bit more time to collect himself and the question bought him the time necessary to get himself under control again.

"Frankly, Pluto-san, Saotome-dono's past makes him more than worthy of the honor. He has persevered throughout a horrendous amount of personal pressure and, from what I have seen of his conduct, he is a gracious and selfless individual that exemplifies what it truly means to be noble." Ranma looked to the floor, unable to hide the blush of embarrassment in his cheeks. "I will confess that I also see this as an opportunity to unify Japan, a chance to save face among the other world powers, and to appease the fears that are building all over the rest of the world due to the events at Tokyo Tower."

Akihito sighed and set his tea aside.

"You must understand, with the discovery of the Moon Colony, there are a number of fingers pointing at Japan – threatening to impose sanctions and institute all manner of other political pressures for our nation's apparent "betrayal of trust" and "aggressive stance" against the sovereignty of the world's other nations. We must find a way to diffuse this powder keg in light of the other concerns that we are facing."

"Ranma's adoption into the royal family will allay many fears." The Prime Minister took up the discussion again. "With the amount of power shown at Tokyo Tower, there are a number of wild and unfounded rumors floating around about secret mutagenic and eugenic programs, super soldiers and biological weapons of mass destruction. If some proof cannot be shown to the rest of the world that Japan is not interested in starting another World War, the other nations might just insist on a 'preemptive strike' of their own."

Usagi and many of the other Senshi gasped. It made sense to Ranma though. Paranoid people did stupid things. Paranoid people with large military budgets tended to act even stupider. The whole situation was FUBAR, and just waiting to burst at the slightest misstep. Man this sucked.

"Regardless, the Japanese people will suffer for the events at the Tower. The question before us now, is simply a matter of how much they are going to suffer. If the Senshi were to ally themselves with the government and allow the proper channels to diffuse the situation, it might just save the nation."

Hata shifted slightly, and Ranma could sense the man's duplicity building. Where the Emperor truly believed and endorsed what he was saying, it was obvious to Ranma's rusty senses that this man was in no way sincere. This was the token steak thrown to appease the guard dog.

"The Senshi would of course be granted a great deal for their cooperation." He motioned to one of the pretty aides that had stood at the back of the room to come forward. Ranma watched attentively as she handed out a number of fancy envelopes to select people, including himself.

"These are appointments from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology!" Ami gasped as she opened her envelope. "You're naming us living national treasures?"

"Well deserved appointments, all things considered." Hata replied with a smarmy grin. "For those that did not receive an appointment, other offers are being arranged to accommodate their talents and interests."

"You want us to become Show Ponies." Rei's face, hidden as it was behind her veil was unreadable, but the disgust carried clearly through her voice. The Prime Minister's face began to darken at the bluntness of Rei's assessment, but had no time to respond to the accusation before Serenity again entered the conversation.

"With all due respect your Majesty, Mr. Prime Minister - the other world governments have larger problems to worry about. The Rhakshasa, and by extension Ahbrim Ur, are not a localized threat. They have already attacked parts of China, and will no doubt have already begun to push outward to other nations as well. As attractive as these offers sound, and as wonderful as it would be to ally ourselves with the nation of our rebirth, we have an obligation to the whole world."

She looked to Ranma briefly before turning her attention back to the Emperor.

"I cannot and will not speak for Ranma. If he decides to become a member of the Imperial Family, then that is to be his choice and his choice alone. At best I will counsel him to at least think about the offer and follow what his heart tells him is best."

Uncertain, Ranma looked to his mother, Ami, and much to her surprise – Makoto, for their input. The women nodded, some more reluctantly than others. Ranma sighed and looked to the Emperor and his hopeful son.

"I'll think about it."

"That is all we can ask Saotome-dono." The Emperor smiled warmly and nodded. He then turned his attention back to Serenity. "And what of the rest of your Court, Serenity-dono?"

The Princess looked at her vassals and saw varying degrees of conflict in each of their faces, most especially Ami's as she stared at the envelop in her lap. With a deep sigh, she turned inward and began weighing things. Ranma could easily see the clash of desire versus necessity on her face, and so could the rest of the Senshi for that matter. In the end, there was no contest; they set aside their envelopes and bowed their heads to their Princess giving their answer. The weight evaporated from her spirit and she smiled sunnily.

"We cannot in good conscience favor one nation above all the world Akihito-sama, however we can and will continue to protect Japan against super-natural entities, regardless of Ranma's choice."

The Emperor's smile dimmed slightly, but he nodded. The Prime Minister however, outright frowned and shook his head.

"A rash decision…" Hata started to press.

"But one that will be honored and respected nonetheless." The Emperor interjected. Ranma was again impressed with how well the old man shut the idiot down. "It is our hope that you will change your mind after having had more time to think on our offer. For the time being, our government will do its best to persuade the other nations of the world of its peaceful intentions while we await Saotome-dono's response."

_No pressure._ Ranma grimaced deep inside.

"Now, let me assure you that this proposition will remain on the table indefinitely as an offering of our appreciation for all that you are doing on behalf of the people of Japan and the rest of our world. Should there be a counter offer that you would like us to consider for assuaging the fears of the world community, please feel free to direct yourself to the Prime Minister's office."

"Thank you for your understanding, your majesty." Serenity bowed her head to the older man.

"No thanks are necessary, my dear. However, maybe you can save an old man from the ire of his granddaughters." He grinned mischievously and nodded his head to a fidgeting group of excited and impatient young girls. Ami giggled as her princess leaned forward and shared a wink with her fellow princesses.

"I think we can do that your majesty."

The Emperor's granddaughters "squeed" in girlish delight and swarmed the Senshi, effectively closing the official part of the evening. It didn't lighten the load on his shoulders at all, but seeing how happy his potential relatives were around Ami made Ranma smile.

The rest of the evening was spent with people flitting from person to person exchanging small talk and generally getting to know one another. For the most part, Ranma remained a silent pillar, standing next to his mother. It wasn't at all subtle that no one chose to speak with Nodoka, and it took Ranma's mother a good quarter hour to get the hovering Yuriko to shuffle off and mingle. She tried the same with her son, but Ranma refused to budge, stating plainly that he was fine with not having to listen to people wag their tongues at him.

Ten minutes before the ordeal was set to end Nodoka and Ranma were approached by the Emperor, the Empress, Prince Naruhito, and his wife. All wore genuine smiles that made the tension in Ranma's shoulders relax without him realizing it.

"Saotome-dono, Nodoka-san," The Emperor was polite and didn't stumble at all as he addressed Ranma's mother, which went a long way with the young man. "It was a pleasure to have you here with us tonight."

Nodoka bowed deeply to the Emperor, but let Ranma speak on her behalf rather than saying anything at all. That, in and of itself, bothered Ranma greatly – but not as much as the sudden spike of cancerous despair that rose in her aura. He glanced at her worriedly from the corner of his eye, noting that she had composed her face into a polite, yet differential, mask that was displaying no real emotion at all. He allowed his attention to return to the people in front of him, but his thoughts remained with his mother.

"Thanks for havin' us your majesty. The food was great."

"I will pass your compliments on to the kitchen staff." The Emperor chuckled. "They will be pleased to know that their efforts were appreciated."

"Saotome-dono," The Empress stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his forearm. "Would it be permissible for me to borrow Nodoka-san from you for a moment?"

"Sure…I mean, if she wants to."

Ranma looked to his mother who nodded and immediately stepped away with the Empress Michiko and Princess Masako, Naruhito's wife, into a small corner of the room. The alcove was out of the sight of others, but still visible to Ranma; he made no secret of his concern for his mother's well being. Naruhito and his father, stepped to either side of Ranma, further shielding the women from the rest of the room's guests.

"Michiko wanted to speak with your mother earlier, but was detained by your Aunts." Akahito's voice was quiet.

"No doubt they were telling her all sorts of crap about, Mom." Ranma growled.

"Most assuredly." The monarch nodded stoically. "But Michiko-chan is not easily swayed by gossip mongers and their ilk. She is a stickler for the truth, and will not stop until she has found it. Isn't that right Hiro-kun?"

The Crowned Prince chuckle and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You can't lie to Mom. She has a way of always dragging the truth out of you, whether you want her to or not." He shook his head fondly. "She's a force of nature."

"All mothers are." Ranma couldn't help but smile at the thought of Nodoka and that damn bokken of hers. He absently rubbed the top of his head at a phantom lump that she had given him not too long ago.

"Truer words have never been spoken." Akahito clapped Ranma on the shoulder and the three of them laughed quietly.

Ranma watched his mother break down into tears and started forward, only to stop short when, not only Empress Michiko, but Princess Masako as well, wrapped their arms around Nodoka and comfort her. He relaxed visibly this time, knowing that she was in good hands. His companions looked away into the crowd and Ranma turned with them, focusing on Ami as she talked with Prince Fumihito and his wife Princess Kiko. His thoughts though, were still with his mother.

"She got a raw deal with Pops." Ranma sighed and rolled his neck. "The guy's an idiot, but he can spin a lie like no one else. I don't blame her for what happened. People tend to get caught up in Pop's stupidity real easy – I mean…it's all a game you know? Up until everything blows up in yer face and you end up suffering for all the stupid crap that Pop's set you up to catch."

"For what it is worth, I hope that you know we are serious." Naruhito said. "We would love to have the privilege of calling you our son."

"I don't get it." Ranma turned and faced the man. "Why are you pushing this?"

Naruhito sighed and lowered his head, but it was the Emperor who finally answered.

"You will find, Saotome-dono, that a ruler of men is as much a prisoner as he is a leader." At Ranma's confused look, Akahito smiled and patted the young man on the back. "People expect great things of those in power. Sometimes…too great."

"And people are expectin' this arrangement to go through?"

"Frankly, Saotome-dono, they are desperately pushing for it to happen."

"Why? I mean, why would anyone want broken goods?"

"Is that how you see yourself child?" Akihito asked.

"I ain't much ta look at yer Highness. I might not be smart like Ami-chan, but I ain't stupid either. There are plenty of other kids out there more deserving than me."

Naruhito sighed and shook his head.

"You are a hero Ranma-dono. Plainly put, you've become an icon of preservation, one that people will look to for inspiration. Please don't sell yourself short."

Ranma shrugged and nodded.

"That still doesn't tell me why you want me."

Naruhito frowned and looked back to his wife.

"May I be blunt Ranma-dono?" Ranma nodded once, giving the prince his full attention. "My wife and I are having difficulties having children. It is getting to the point of desperation for us…for Masako-chan. We want a family, even if we're unable to raise a child of our own from birth, we want to know the joy that so many others have experienced."

Ranma frowned and looked out to the gaggle of girls talking animatedly with the Senshi. It tore at his heart but, at the same time, how could he really accept?

"Thank you for bein' honest and up front with me. It shows me just how serious about this you and yer wife are. I respect your reasons, but I'll need ta sleep on it." He finally conceded. "Gimme until tomorrow morning, and I'll have an answer for you."

"That's all Masako and I can ask for Ranma-dono." He placed a warm hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Know that my wife and I would gladly call you son, and that we would do our utmost to ensure that your mother continued to be a part of your life."

Ranma nodded absently, feeling the weight on his shoulders become just a little heavier. It was going to be a long sleepless night.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The dream was always the same. For weeks now he'd suffered its frustrating imagery in helpless confusion. The power of the Dreamers was shackled, bound to their slumbering forms and fed by the illusions they were living. Herb knew them for who they were – after all, one cannot deny the call of Blood. These majestic dragons were all prisoners of their own minds, chained by Beryl through the power of the great demon that she served. They were the first to fall in that Great War. He couldn't understand all of his dreams, but that was one fact that had been quite plain.

Someone was coming to wake them.

That someone was here already, standing over the sea of sleeping forms.

"They are magnificent, aren't they?"

Herb didn't know why, but the woman's voice was familiar. She wasn't someone he'd met recently, of that he was certain. But there was something backing her, some sense of presence that he knew intimately – like the voice of a popular singer, or the familiarity of a face you might see regularly. He walked up to her side, idly noting that in this dreamscape she was dressed in a gown of dragon scales and wore a corona of light. Her mere company was soothing to him.

"Yes, they are."

"I am going to wake them now, Prince Herb of the Musk. They have been sleeping for ever so long."

"Yes. They have."

"What do you think they would like for breakfast?" Her tone was almost motherly in its concern. "I should think they will be hungry."

"I don't rightly know, Lady. I suppose they will be hungry." The woman sighed and frowned slightly, and Herb felt strangely unsettled that she was upset. He reached out his hand to her shoulder and gently squeezed. "I don't think you have to worry about it though. I'm sure they can all cook for themselves."

What an odd thing to say, let alone think.

"I hope you are right." She worried her lower lip, and then nodded resolutely. "We'll just have to make due."

"Yes, Lady Kasumi." Herb agreed. He had no idea how he knew her name, it was just there. It suited her though. He watched as she took a dainty step forward and ever so gently whispered into a soft breeze that swept past.

"My darlings, the Dawn is here."

And just like that, two hundred million pairs of dragon eyes snapped open. And the universe was awash in their singing voices after a ten thousand year nap. Herb's blood rushed, his heart pounded, and his own voice joined theirs.

After all, there was no such thing as a part dragon.

Either you were, or you weren't.

And then, after so, so very long, the dream was done.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Mousse looked at Ryouga, Phau Set, and Xian Pu thoughtfully.

"Did you feel that?"

"Who couldn't?" Ryouga snarked.

"Feel what?" Phau Set asked.

"You know what that means right?"

"What are you talking about Mu Tse?" Xian Pu growled.

"Road trip?" Ryouga smirked.

"What is going on?" Phau Set whined.

"Road Trip." Mousse nodded.

Xian Pu drew a wicked looking punch dagger from…somewhere, and pressed it against Mousse's crotch.

"Tell me what is going on. Now." The Amazon princess growled.

"Ancestors, Woman! You are such a tease!" The blind man fanned himself, only to squeak as his former crush pressed a little harder than necessary. "We need to find Ukyou and Shinnousuke."

"Why?" She growled.

"Because it's time for them to be found."

"Stop being cryptic, damn it!" Phau Set demanded.

"It's not my fault! It's just the way it is!"

"Why do you need to find them?" Xian Pu growled.

"Ranma needs them." Ryouga answered with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"Fine!" The Amazon huffed. "Let me get my things and we can leave."

"You can't come." Mousse's voice was quiet. Ryouga shook his head.

"What?" Xian Pu's voice was flat; that was never a good sign.

"Idiot." Ryouga clucked. "You shouldn't have said anything. We could have slipped away while she was packing."

"And have her castrate me when I got back, I think not!" Mousse countered. "I might be blind, but I'm not stupid. Better to face her wrath now, than to let it simmer while we're away."

"You are a braver man than I."

"True." Mousse nodded sagely.

"Someone had better explain. Quickly." Xian Pu hissed. Her aura was starting to cause the asphalt to bubble.

"Bluntly? You can't come because someone needs to guard Kasumi Tendo." Mousse rolled his neck until it popped.

"Why?"

"Why? Because she's the one that just woke every dragon in existence. Why? Because she's the reincarnation of the Dragon Kings soul-mate. Why? Because without her, killing the Rhakshasa is going to be a thousand times harder than it should; and without them we're all likely to become soul food for a bunch of demons. Is that a clear enough picture for you?"

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Mousse sighed and placed his hands on Phau Set's shoulders. "Save the House Wife. Save the world."

"Huh?" Phau Set furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Damn it. No one understands my Pop Culture references."

"It's because half the stuff that spews from your mouth hasn't even been invented yet." Ryouga pointed out.

"Oh. Right."

"Moron." The former lost boy grabbed the front of Mousse's robes and drug him off. When Phau Set ran after them, she wasn't as surprised as she thought she should be, when she noted that they were no where to be found.

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Sleep did not come easily to Ranma. In fact it hadn't come at all. The weight of the choice before him was just as damning as the conundrum of the Fiancé Wars had ever been – if anything, it was twice as difficult. His only comfort was Ami-chan's presence and her willingness to act as a sounding board for him. She had promised to sustain whatever decision he made. That type of unconditional support was rare, bordering on unique, in his life. It made him realize where his priorities truly lay though.

So, with his decision made, he roused Ami from her place on his lap, spoke with Setsuna and thanked her again for postponing whatever fieldtrip she'd arranged with Orima Tene, and then called the number he'd been given by the Emperor's staff. An hour later the limos were back and they had made their way back to the palace. More dog and pony stuff ensued, with the Paparazzi stealing bits and pieces of their lives, before they were again led into a receiving room. The Emperor and his wife were seated at the head of a table, with Naruhito seated to their right and the Prime Minister seated to their left. Ranma bowed respectfully to the Royal family, absently snubbing the P.M. and earning himself a glare in return. The rest of the entourage followed suit before sitting as directed, in the seats provided for them.

"We welcome back, Ranma-dono, and pray you had a restful night." The Emperor smiled warmly.

"I don't know about restful, but I feel less burdened." Ranma admitted.

"That is a good thing." He noted. "It is my prayer that you have brought us good news."

"Again, I'm not sure what I have to say will be good or bad. I guess it all depends on where you're sitting." Ranma glanced at his mother. Nodoka's body was rigid and stoic. "I thought long and hard about what you asked of me, Sir. I weighed the possible outcomes and have come to the decision to accept your offer…"

Nodoka winced, but showed no other sign of emotion. The Emperor and his son looked very pleased, but it was the Prime Minister Hata's smug expression that made Ranma's stomach churn angrily. Ranma's next words wiped the look from the man's face completely.

"…on the condition that you grant my mother a new name and publicly exonerate her before her peers to repair the dishonor the government brought upon her."

"And what dishonor would that be?" The Prime Minister growled hotly. Ranma completely ignored him.

"Your majesty, do you consider yourself a perfect parent?"

The Emperor shook his head.

"No, I cannot say that I am. I believe all parents have made their share of mistakes."

"Well, if you, as the leader of our nation are not perfect, then how is it that your government can hold my mother to such an impossible standard?" Ranma looked over to see tears leaking from the corners of his mother's eyes. "My mother was a young woman, married to a charismatic con-artist. That man was the epitome of disreputable, and yet people were still taken in by him – even when they knew exactly what he was! My mother was a young woman when my father stole me from her, and after talking with her I cannot hold her accountable for the decisions she made while under the duress of trying to keep her family together."

"Mothers in this day and age do not hold their children's lives hostage with seppuku contracts!" The Prime Minister slammed his fist down on the table.

"And governments shouldn't be stealing a woman's child, destroying her reputation, and ruining her life – all because she made a mistake in judgment!" Ranma growled. "At worst, she should be receiving counseling! I am in no danger from her, and she is not a danger to the world around her! Yet, you have all made her out to be some slavering demoness, ready to cut children's heads off at the drop of a hat! Worse still, she will never be able to hold down a reputable job, and the possibility of finding another husband is non-existent! She explained her actions and the reasons behind them, and yet I have not seen any of those portions of her transcripts being played out in the media.

"No one's talking about the fact that Genma was actually the bastard that wrote up the agreement in the first place! No one is talking about the atrocities, like the Neko-ken, Genma put me through with his training regime. Yet, you're viciously attacking the woman that gave birth to me, calling her 'Head-hunter Mom' and all other kinds of vile crap, when in reality it was Genma that was the abusive parent."

Ranma narrowed his eyes at the Prime Minister, making the man shift uncomfortably.

"My mother was as much a victim as he was, and as such deserves a chance to make amends and correct her mistakes. The fact that her family abandoned her, and her government stabbed her in the back like a coward while pandering to public opinion, has been the greatest betrayal ever. If you can't see fit to reunite a mother to her son, even if it's only in spirit, then I want nothing to do with the Imperial Family, or Japan. Either way, Nodoka will always be my mom, in name or not – Japanese or not."

The Emperor sighed and folded his hands before him. The troubled frown on his face told Ranma he was taking the matter seriously.

"What do you intend to do if your request is not granted?"

Ranma shrugged and looked to Usagi.

"You've already got another family that loves you unconditionally and a nation, however small, that will honor you."

He nodded thankfully and ran his hand through his unruly hair.

"I guess, your Majesty, if the government can't abide by this small request, then they can find another puppet to join the kingdoms. I won't lie; being Naruhito-sama's son sounds all sorts of awesome, and if nothing else, I had hoped to make both he and Masako-sama happy as their son. But what kind of son would I be, if I turned my back on the woman that gave me life?" Ranma pointed to Mamoru. "If you're looking to 'join the houses', he'd make a good Pinocchio."

That got a rousing stir out of everyone, especially Mamoru. Usagi urgently leaned over and whispered into Setsuna's ear. The Senshi of Time stood from her chair and bowed to the Emperor.

"Her Majesty wishes for me to state that even should his Majesty's proposal be accepted, that there can be no Omiai between Ranma and Princess Serenity though. In her stead, her Majesty chooses Ami Mizuno, the Senshi of Mercury to represent the Moon Kingdom's interests. This will bind the two political entities through marriage, as was the original intent."

Ranma was stunned, and looking over at Ami's blushing face, he could see that she was obviously stunned as well. Yuriko and Nodoka discreetly wave little victory signs next ton one another.

"Why, if we may inquire, is her Majesty declining Ranma-dono as a potential husband?"

"Due simply to the fact that the Moon Kingdom has always found incest reprehensible."

That seemed to shock the Japanese politicians, all of whom looked at Ranma and Usagi and turned green at the thought. The Emperor nodded and, with the blessing of Ranma and Usagi, took a moment to speak with the Prime Minister and their legal council. After a couple of minutes of him shaking his head and frowning in disgust, turned to face Ranma again. The resignation in his voice spoke volumes to the Senshi, and Ranma could only square his shoulders and meet the inevitable head on.

"Saotome-dono,"

"I ain't a Saotome anymore. They abandoned me, and I reject them."

The Emperor nodded stoically, but it was Prime Minister Hata that spoke.

"Ranma-dono. While I respect your position, and admire your compassion and ability to forgive, you must realize that Japan is a nation of laws. Criminal negligence of a minor is a very serious offense, and cannot be so lightly put aside. We value our children greatly, and your childhood was nothing short of a nightmare. An example must be made, and a precedent must be set to safe guard future lives. We cannot exonerate your mother of her crime. If we did, we would be undermining Justice."

"Justice without Mercy is Tyranny." Ami glared at the men and shook her head.

"Endangering the life of a child is demonic." The Prime minister countered. "We are willing to give your mother a new name, but the charges against her must stand for the good of the nation."

"This is stupid! It's a bloody apology!"

"We will not condone child abuse, Ranma-dono. It's plain and simple."

"It was a mistake! A practical joke that got out of hand. Can't you see that?"

"Mistake or not, a parent must be responsible."

"Genma duped her! He's the one that did all that crap, not her!"

"There is sufficient evidence that says otherwise, Ranma-dono."

Ranma snorted and shook his head. He crossed his arms and glared at the tabletop. He saw his mother's hand come to rest over his hands, and he looked up. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she was smiling.

"Ranma. You make me so proud. In spite of everything that has happened to you, you've turned out to be a wonderful young man."

Ranma could see where this was headed and shook his head. He started to object, but Nodoka's finger over his lips silenced him.

"As grateful as I am that you are defending me, you must see that this is a singular opportunity. I've wanted nothing but the best for you since the day you were born, but I've never been able to give you what you needed when you needed it the most. I'm asking you not to pass up this offer because of me."

Ranma stubbornly shook his head.

"I set my terms, Mom. I've lost a lot because of Pops – my childhood, my manhood, Akane. I ain't about to let his stupidity take you away too. They can pander to the media and prop up their careers with a few sound bites and a scapegoat, but I ain't gonna support them in this travesty they call justice."

"But they were my actions that caused this." Nodoka pointed out.

"Maybe, but the old man set the stage, and he played you like a pro. He's paying for what he did, but you've suffered enough. I ain't budging on this."

Nodoka opened her mouth to continue the argument, but Ranma held up his hand effectively silencing her.

"Is there nothing else we might offer to change your mind? Leniency? Monetary reparation?" Hata asked. Ranma just glared at the man as an icy film began to spread out across the table top in a ring around his body. "Well, erhm. I'm sorry that we have been unable to come to an agreement here."

"Yeah, me too." Ranma grumbled. "I can't say that I didn't expect it."

"Ranma-dono, please be reasonable! Think about the consequences of your choice and how it will impact the people of Japan." Naruhito implored.

"Yer Majesty, the people of Japan ain't done a whole lot for me. Hell, most of them have only added to my headaches. So you'll have to excuse me when I say that Japan can screw itself!"

"Now see here!" Hata barked. Ranma spun on him so quickly and violently that the man found himself stumbling backwards out of his chair. The young warrior's aura was visible and flaring, causing the security detail in the room to tense and draw weapons.

"NO! You see here, you slimy little prick! You want me to pull your fat outta the fire, so that you can save face with the rest of the world. In that, you're no better than Genma. I didn't ask for all the crap that happened at Tokyo Tower. It just did. I didn't ask ta be Aramas flamin' Drumheller, but I am. Because of that, and because of an oath that I took to protect those that couldn't protect themselves, I got a responsibility to everyone on this stupid mud ball. Not just Japan, but everyone."

"I will not tolerate this disrespect! After all we've offered to do for you!" Hata's bluster was more an attempt to regain a position of authority than to save face.

"I don't give a damn what you'll tolerate or not. Besides, what have you done for me? Destroyed my family and stolen my home from me? Tried to bribe me with empty titles and glitter? The Royal Family at least has been honest and upfront with me. You…You're no different than any of the other lowlifes I've had to deal with throughout my crappy life. You're just lucky that Serenity and I don't pack up and leave you to Ur."

"You wouldn't dare abandon so many innocents." Hata's smile was smug and feral at the same time.

"Innocents? No. You're right about that, but you ain't no innocent and I'm seriously considering dumping your butt here and now. Keep pushing me and you can fight the Rhakshasa on your own."

"We don't need their aid, Majesty!" A general named Omura roared from behind the Emperor. "Between the Americans and our other western allies we will have more than enough power to defeat this…Ahbrim Ur, person."

"Sure." Ranma snorted. "Conventional weapons don't work jackass! Yeah, you go on and shoot these guys with your guns – try and blow them up with your bombs. You'll be watching the bullets zipping out the other end and the wounds close up right behind. They'll re-grow their limbs right before your very eyes! Then, if you're lucky, you might not actually survive long enough to watch them eat you piece by piece."

"Ranma!" Usagi called out tersely.

"They think they're ready to fight, then let them fight, Serenity. It's no skin off my nose." Ranma threw up his hands. "When they realize that they're in over their heads, let'em remember today. Let `em remember that they could have avoided the entire problem at the cost of a little pride in upholding decency, instead of playing games and trying to snowball us into selling ourselves like whores to their agendas."

"Are you withdrawing your promise of aid then?" Hata asked coldly.

"No, we are not." Usagi stated firmly. "Ranma-dono does not speak for the body of the Moon Kingdom."

"Excuse me, Serenity-sama."

Usagi frowned and looked back to Sailor Pluto.

"Yes, Pluto?"

"With all due respect your Majesty, Aramas was your mother's first-born. Therefore, according to the laws of succession, he is next in line for the throne. And unless he abdicates, he has as much authority to speak on behalf of the Moon Kingdom as you do."

Usagi blinked in shock as her reality took another mighty blow. Ranma just looked smugly at the suddenly nervous heads of state.

"So you were for real at the Tower? All that 'Emperor of the Earth and Moon' stuff was legit?"

"Yes, Highness." Pluto lowered her head demurely, mostly to hide her growing grin.

"And I can tell these guys to go screw themselves and the Senshi will do as I ask?"

Pluto nodded and bowed.

"Yes, your Majesty. But, you and Serenity-sama must be in unified accord concerning all matters that affect the Kingdom as a whole. War and the defense of the Kingdom's citizenry, are both examples of such. Until an official coronation has been held, Serenity-sama and Ranma-sama together, speak for the people of the Moon Kingdom. Your words are law, but until you can come to a consensus, the debate might make any intervention on behalf of the Japanese government a moot point. If Ur were to strike, any aid we might extend to the people of Japan would very likely come too late."

Pluto bowed and stepped back to resume her seat, leaving everyone looking between Ranma and Usagi. The blonde girl looked up at Ranma pleadingly.

"We cannot let them face this alone, Ranma! Please! They wouldn't stand a chance!"

Ranma glared at the worried men and growled. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But they can take their National Treasure crap, and their adoption and shove it. I ain't having anything to do with it." Ranma tossed his head in Mamoru's direction. "Let the penguin be their poster boy if he wants. This will give Japan its tie to the Silver Millennium and an ambassador to the New Moon Kingdom. As for me, I'm done playing their games."

"But Ranma, that makes us Ronin!" Nodoka said.

"Ronin-schmonin!" Ranma waved her concerns off. "I earned myself a name ten thousand years ago, and that name will do just fine now. We're our own family now, and from here on out we will make our own honor."

"You have made a fine declaration for yourself…." Akihito smiled sadly.

"Drumheller. Ranma Aramas Drumheller." He stood proudly, looking steadily into the eyes of the men before him. "Son of Serenity, Empress of the Moon. Son of Nodoka, dedicated Mother."

Akihito nodded and inclined his head.

"As I said, you made a fine declaration for yourself, Ranma-dono. I am saddened that I could not have you as a grandson. You would have done great things for the Japanese people."

Ranma inclined his head.

"I must ask if you are officially renouncing your Japanese citizenship for that of the Moon Kingdom?"

"I guess I am."

The Emperor inclined his head again.

"And the other Senshi?"

Usagi flinched and looked to Pluto desperately. The Senshi of Time stood and with a nod from Usagi spoke on her behalf.

"The Senshi will make their intent clear by week's end."

"The Japanese people will respect your decision, and hope that we might be able to remain friends. I will extend my earlier invitation of adoption to you, Chiba-san, in the hopes of cementing a friendly relationship with the Moon Kingdom. I will not press your choice, as I did with Ranma-dono, but I ask that you come to a decision soon so that we might appease the fears of our people and the people of the world."

Mamoru bowed deeply to the Emperor.

"I will have an answer for you by tomorrow morning."

"That will be sufficient." Akihito looked to Usagi and smiled. "Serenity-dono, you have a truly formidable family. It is my hope that we can be good friends in the days ahead."

"That is our wish as well, your Majesty. It would be an honor to have the Japanese people as our allies, instead of the alternative. In light of the threat we are facing, the strength of our unity will determine the cost of our success."

"Well said, your Highness. Well, said. Would I be remiss in asking for an official affirmation of our alliance?"

Usagi bowed her head in thought, discreetly looking to Pluto for help. The Senshi of Time stepped forward again.

"It would please the Moon Kingdom greatly to accommodate you, your Majesty. In the interest of time, may we request a future meeting to discuss and negotiate terms?"

"That would be fine, Pluto-san. Serenity-dono. Until the details are finalized, we will allow you and your families to shelter within our borders in exchange for your generous protection."

Usagi spared a glance at Ranma who nodded once and looked away. Usagi smiled and bowed to the Emperor and the Prime Minister.

"Thank you for accommodating us, your Majesty. We can only hope that our services will not be necessary for a very long time."

"We share your hopes." The Emperor stood and everyone followed suit. "We look forward to a bright and prosperous future together."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

Mamoru stormed from the Imperial Palace in a rage. Ranma, Ami, and Ranma's mother were speaking quietly, seemingly oblivious to his presence. Usagi and Pluto were in deep discussion behind him, planning what to do next it seemed. Events were spiraling out of control faster than he could keep up. One moment he was studying to be a doctor, and the next he was in the center of a political tug of war.

Damn Ranma! Why couldn't he just take the Emperor's offer? Even if he didn't take the offer, why'd he have to shove it off on Mamoru? He didn't want to be a member of the Imperial Family! It was bad enough being the "Prince of Earth" or the "Consort." He didn't need the headache of another high profile calling on top of everything else. The more he thought about it, the angrier it made him.

Ranma's group paused for a moment and then broke up. Ranma went one way, and Ami and Nodoka went the other. Mamoru took the presented opportunity to let Ranma know exactly how he felt about the position the other young man had forced him into. He reached out to grab Ranma's shoulder, only to find his world turned upside down…literally.

"You got a problem, Chiba?"

Mamoru tried to right himself, but Ranma held him securely against the wall.

"Yeah…why'd you dump all this crap in my lap? I'm not your enemy. You've been busting my chops ever since Tokyo Tower. What did I do to you to piss you off so bad?"

Ranma let the taller man go and pulled him to his feet.

"Del Aran."

"What the hell are you talking about?" The event at Tokyo Tower had done wonders for patching up the spotty memories of the Senshi, but there were still holes.

"Endymion's boys led Beryl's assault. I killed the Outer Knights myself, but those other cowards…the ones closest to you, escaped. I told Isis to kill you when she and the other Senshi went back to the capital. Apparently she didn't believe me when I told her that you and yours were traitors."

"Those bastards betrayed me first!"

"Yeah. Sure. All of the Knights just defected to Beryl's forces and you didn't know anything about it." Ranma rolled his eyes. "Okay, say I believe you. How are you going to explain your little romp on the dark side when Beryl broke through the Seal?"

"She bound me with magic."

"Typical excuse." Ranma rolled his neck. "And what about all this coming to the battle late crap, not to mention all the sniping from a distance. The Endymion I trained with wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He wasn't the type to spout a bunch of drivel, while the woman he professed to love was in danger!"

A finger, jabbing painfully into the center of Mamoru's chest, nailed each accusation home.

"Tell you what I think Chiba. I think you were Beryl's boy-toy. I think you were playing us from the get-go. And when my mother dusted the whore, you got sent forward with everyone else on accident. And then, when Serenity took the skanky witch to the cleaners, you were left high and dry without a power base or back up to pull your butt out of the fire."

"You're insane."

"Am I? What are you going to do? You're in too deep, with no way out. What are you going to do, but kick back and hitch a ride to the high life? It ain't Beryl's style of 'walk-all-over-em-till-they're-dead,' but hey…power's power right?"

"It's not like that at all."

"Then why don't you tell me what it is like?" Ranma growled. "You gave me your _solemn oath_! You promised me you would protect her! And here we are now, with Serenity playing at being Xena Warrior Princess while you prance around like some sort of damn _fairy_, tossing roses at the bad guys!"

"Who are you to judge me?" Mamoru hissed.

"I was your best friend."

Ranma turned away and started walking down the street again. Mamoru ran to catch up with him. He wasn't certain why, but Ranma's words struck a deep chord in him. Memories of wild adventures, hairy escapes, and lots of laughter bubbled to the forefront of his mind. It was the first time he'd ever willingly embraced the distant memories of his past.

"It was hard when Beryl returned." Mamoru looked to Ranma, but the other man said nothing as he walked. "I would be studying or sleeping, and then I would blank out. I'd lose hours on end, and not understand why. It was pretty scary, up until I found out what was really going on. Then things got terrifying. The guy I'd grown up being was being supplanted by a memory…a ghost. I didn't know who I was."

Ranma grunted, so Mamoru continued.

"I was constantly fighting myself, but after Beryl…after Beryl, I came to terms with life…at least a little bit. Then Chibi-Usa showed up, and I'm suddenly a father."

Ranma snorted.

"What? You think it is easy finding out you're 'destined' to be with this klutzy, immature girl who drains your savings every time you go out on a date?"

"She's not so klutzy or immature now, is she?" Ranma grinned.

"No. No, she's not." There was no way to keep the love he felt for Usagi from his voice. "She's grown up quite a bit in the last year."

Ranma stopped suddenly and grabbed Mamoru by the throat. In one swift move, the pig-tailed martial artist had his companion's feet a full foot off the ground.

"Grown up or not, you ain't going to touch her until you prove yourself to me. No huggin', no kissin', and I swear to Heaven and Hell nothin' else! You so much as flirt with her…!" Ranma's eyes narrowed and the crescent moon on his brow shimmered to life before Mamoru's wide, uncertain eyes. "You get one chance Endymion, or Chiba, or whatever combination of the two you decide to end up being. Just one chance. You screw up, and I'm going to bury you so hard and fast that it will take ten Guinzuisho to pull you back together."

Ranma lowered him ever so slowly back to his feet, but he didn't let go of the other man's throat.

"Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Mamoru croaked.

Ranma nodded once and released Chiba's throat. The taller man massaged where Ranma's hand had been and looked into the stormy depths of those terribly intense eyes.

"Why the second chance?"

"Because, either you're an incredible actor or you actually love her. If it's the first, you'll slip up sooner or later and I can rip your heart out with a clear conscience. If it's the second…well, you made her happy once. I'd like to see her smile like that again."

"How do I gain your trust back?"

"By being the man I knew." Ranma paused and looked up at the sky. "No. By being better than the man I knew."

"That's a pretty tall order." Mamoru joked. Ranma snorted and rolled his eyes. "Seriously. What do you expect from me? I mean look at this mess we're in! How in the Hell am I going to meet your expectations, with all of this crap happening?"

"For starters, lose the tuxedo. You look like a fruitcake." Ranma grinned. "The roses should go too. They might have been fun and romantic…" The martial artist made googly-eyes. "But they're a waste of energy. Endymion would have died before throwing a rose at one of his opponents. The guy I remember had this thing for hitting hard and fast from the side, then raining nine kinds of hell down on his enemies in a brazen frontal assault while they were trying to regroup."

"Sounds like I was pretty intense."

"You wish."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

The clock on his desk read two thirty five in the morning. The junior aid of China's highest ranked military officer shuffled the initial reports on the slaughter that had occurred at the missile base. He never even felt the explosion tear his body asunder, as Ahbrim Ur's arcane nuclear weapon detonated three hundred feet from where he sat. As a consolation, neither did the rest of Beijing, Hong Kong, and Moscow. The simultaneous attacks on the political and financial institutions of Washington D.C., Rome, London, and Switzerland by the Rhakshasa, made certain that the world knew the touch of Chaos.

There was no radiation or fallout from the explosions, just massive amounts of damage and a great deal of fire. The force of the blasts were a thousand times stronger and further reaching than the Hiroshima standard. The results were extraordinary, cracking the mantle in places and unleashing a pyroclastic catastrophe and a series of earthquakes that would have been an extinction event, had the arcane forces tied to the device not healed the land in its wake. As it was, the "Pacific Ring of Fire" still felt the brunt of the assault, initiating earthquakes and setting of volcanic chain reactions all across the region. The resulting cataclysm would be felt for years. Where once there had been cities, now there were only grassy plains.

And this was just his opening salvo.

The terror was absolute, and the televised massacre from the cities besieged by the demons was unprecedented. And true to Ranma's prophetic words, conventional weapons had absolutely no effect on the beasts. In the span of an hour, Ur controlled mainland China. When the clock had marked an hour and fifteen minutes, the surviving governments of the United States and her Western allies were reeling from the blows, uncertain of who had initiated the attack. Five minutes later, Ur had hijacked every communications satellite in orbit to deliver a message.

"I am Ahbrim Ur, Lord and Master of Terra, true King of Heaven and Earth. Prepare the way for my ascendance, for I am come."

**(oo0/8/0oo)**

End Chapter 11 


End file.
